Rights group exposes North Korea’s forced labour scheme that reaps US$500 million annually

A state-sponsored forced labour programme that has escalated in recent years generates up to US$500 million annually for North Korea, according to a report by a global rights group.The report also warns that workers are trapped in “brutal” conditions where they are subjected to “control, abuse and coercion”.Published on Wednesday by Global Rights Compliance – an international human rights foundation – the report contains first-hand testimonies from North Koreans exploited in the programme and notes that the scheme has sent more than 100,000 workers across 40 countries.Workers were hired across multiple sectors including sewing, construction, medicine, information technology and food service, the report said.North Korean labourers on construction sites in Russia are forced to work up to 16 hours a day, sometimes 364 days a year, receiving as little as US$10 a month after deductions, according to the report. They live in unheated, overcrowded “containers” infested with cockroaches and are permitted to shower only once or twice a year.North Korean residents are seen at work in a field in Kaepung on the western frontline border with South Korea in February. The country’s forced labour scheme generates US$500 million annually for the state. Photo: EPA/YonhapThose employed directly by companies were found to live in containers on construction sites, making escape nearly impossible.