Recent reports have surfaced indicating that North Korean laborers in China engaged in riots after discovering they wouldn't receive payment, with their earnings allegedly diverted to fund weapon construction in Pyongyang.
This unusual protest is significant given North Korea's tight control over dissent, typically resulting in severe consequences like execution.
Concerns have arisen over the welfare of the sizable North Korean workforce abroad, estimated to be tens of thousands, who contribute crucial foreign currency to the regime.
Interviews with a former North Korean worker and a current IT worker suggest instances of wage withholding and exploitation akin to slavery.
According to a former North Korean diplomat, the riots occurred at multiple North Korean-operated clothing factories in northeast China.
Reports suggest workers reacted violently upon learning their unpaid wages had been redirected to a war fund, damaging equipment and even assaulting officials.
Verification of these events remains challenging due to North Korea's secrecy and the tight security surrounding its Chinese facilities.
Approximately 100,000 North Koreans are deployed abroad, primarily in factories and construction projects, earning substantial revenue for Pyongyang despite international sanctions.
However, amidst the pandemic, some workers allege their wages were withheld entirely with promises of payment upon their return home.
