No bath, no proper accommodation, work for 16-16 hours, the painful story of North Korean workers is worse than animals in Russia

In the cities of Russia with snow covered streets, where everything looks normal from outside, there is also an invisible world. That is a world of pain, helplessness and silence. People living in this world can neither laugh openly nor express their problems to anyone. According to the report of Independent North Korea They are laborers from India, who are sent abroad with dreams of a better future, but in reality they are forced to live a life where the difference between a human being and a prisoner disappears.

Under Kim Jong Un’s foreign labor program, thousands of people are earning their living in Russia’s construction sites, factories and closed containers, where 16-16 hours of work, paltry wages and complete lack of basic rights are their everyday reality. This story is not just about hard work, but about the painful truth, where the value of a human being remains less than an “iota”.

The dense darkness of stink, sweat and fatigue inside that rusted shipping container in the silence of the night. 20 people, in a small room, take turns changing sides, because there is no room for everyone to stretch their legs together. This is the “home” of Gumyuk Kim, a 29-year-old youth who was sent to Russia under Kim Jong Un’s foreign labor program. He doesn’t remember the last time he took a bath openly.

‘Just washing your face is enough’

The alarm does not ring at 6 in the morning, because there is no complete sleep here. 16 hours of continuous hard work, bone-breaking cold, and then returning to the same container to sleep. This is the daily cycle. Gumyuk says, “There are no bathing facilities… We just wash our faces with tap water. Sometimes even that is not available.” Allowed to bathe once or twice a year, it sounds unbelievable, but this is the reality of thousands of North Korean laborers who are sent out of North Korea.

Dream deal, reality hell

When Gumyuk left Pyongyang, he had a hope in his mind, “I will go to Russia, I will earn money, the life of my family will be better.” But she was not told that her passport would be confiscated, she would have to work 16 hours a day, she would only be paid $10 a month, and most of her earnings would be taken by the government. This was not a job, it was a trap in which he himself got trapped.

100,000 lives, one story

According to experts, about 1 lakh North Korean workers are working in China, Russia and African countries. These people work in construction sites, factories and farms, but they seem less like laborers and more like prisoners. The United Nations had ordered in 2017 that such workers should be sent back by 2019. But the ground reality is different. Their number is increasing in Russia.

Quota – a rule bigger than life

There is an invisible burden on every worker – quota. Gumyuk explains, “Every afternoon I wonder whether I will be able to meet this month’s quota… what if I don’t?” This quota means that a fixed amount will have to be earned under all circumstances. Be it sick, injured or dying. Work should not stop. Quotas are not just economic. This is a weapon of fear.

Injury, illness… all ‘obstacles’

A laborer suffered a deep injury on his hand. Blood was flowing. Treatment? Just salt water. “He was told to either put it on the wound, or drink it… and go back to work.” Here the value of human being is less than that of machine.

spy net

The scariest part of these workers’ lives is not just the work, but the “surveillance”. They are asked to keep an eye on each other. If someone uses mobile, watches foreign movies or tries to run away. So a complaint is made against him. And then? He is sent back to North Korea, where the punishment can be even worse.

Family – the greatest bond

There is a special way to select these laborers. Who have families. Wife, children, parents, they are given priority. But why? So that if they try to run away, their family can be punished. It’s not just wages. This is emotional captivity.

war and bargaining

Vladimir Putin’s Russia-Ukraine War has made this whole story deeper. Due to the war – there was a shortage of laborers in Russia, recruitment in the army increased, people left the country, in such a situation North Korea sent laborers. In return? Technical assistance, military cooperation and support in international politics. This is a human deal for political gain.

‘Worse than animals’

One laborer said, “We are living a life worse than animals.” Working in the harsh cold without safety equipment, living amidst hunger, fatigue and fear, with the fear at every moment of “What will happen if the quota is not met?”

A small window – a glimpse of the world

Sometimes, when they get a chance, they watch South Korean videos on the internet. For them it is like another world: freedom, light, smiling faces. Gumyuk says, “We then understand how different the world is… and how far behind we are.” But this glimpse is also dangerous. If caught, punishment is certain. It is not easy to run away, many workers want to run away.

But, no passport, no language, no money and the biggest worry is the family. So they live…endure…and live every day. No end, just waiting. The night returns again. Same smell, same tiredness, same silence inside the container. Gumyuk looks at the ceiling and wonders, “Will I ever return home?”

He has no answer. But the next morning, 16 hours of work awaits him. This is not just the story of Gumyuk Kim. This is the story of millions of voices that have been suppressed, where humans work but do not live. And the world just keeps watching.

What is the matter?

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has taken away the basic rights of these workers in order to raise money for the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They are selected by the North Korean government under a special scheme and are sent there to work as laborers under a contract with the Russian government. While doing this, they are not told that after going there, they will have to live a life worse than hell and forget about meeting their family members.