A

The North Korean regime recruits workers for assignments overseas under bilateral contracts with foreign governments. North Korean workers arrive in the recipient countries on three to five year contracts that can be extended indefinitely or not at all depending on the performance and loyalty of the worker. Recent estimates indicate that there are currently 52,300-53,100 North Korean laborers working overseas, earning the Kim regime between USD 150 million and USD 230 million per year. 1 Available reports indicate that the first overseas North Korean laborers were loggers exported to the Soviet Far East 1967. 2 North Korean workers have officially in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. 3 Currently, 16 countries reportedly host workers sent by the North Korean regime: Russia (20,000), China (19,000), Mongolia (1,300), Kuwait 5,000), UAE (2,000), (1,800), Angola (1,000), (400-500), (300), Oman (300), Libya (300), Myanmar (200), Nigeria (200), Algeria (200), Equatorial Guinea (200) and Ethiopia (100). Although North Korea is not a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO), all 16 states officially hosting North Korean workers are ILO members.