North Korean worker dispatches to China rise as factories spread hires thinner
The number of North Korean workers newly dispatched to China has risen steadily since July, as improving relations between Pyongyang and Beijing revive a labor pipeline that stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. But rather than concentrating large numbers of workers at a single site as in the past, factories are increasingly hiring smaller groups spread […]
The number of North Korean workers dispatched to China has been on the rise since July, as diplomatic ties between the two countries improved following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, factories are now employing smaller groups of North Korean workers across multiple locations, rather than concentrating them at a single site. According to a source inside North Korea, these workers have been distributed among approximately 30 garment and seafood processing factories, primarily in the Chinese border cities of Dandong and Donggang in Liaoning province.
Some factories had reduced or halted production during the pandemic, while others are employing North Korean labor for the first time. China's industry observers note that the current dispatch level remains well below pre-pandemic numbers, with each factory now hiring around 150 workers instead of the previous 300. The shift towards smaller, more dispersed placements could complicate how North Korean authorities manage workers abroad, as it requires more personnel and higher costs for supervision compared to concentrated placements.
Written by urgent.news from Daily NK's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
