Senior North Korean economic figures recently met with Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russia’s Primorye region, in Pyongyang to discuss bolstering economic collaboration between their nations, as reported by North Korean state media on December 13.
This meeting raised concerns in South Korea about potential expansions of North Korean labor exports to Russia, possibly violating U.N. Security Council resolutions. Such moves are feared to generate revenue for North Korea’s struggling economy and potentially fund leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear weapons program.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, discussions, led by North Korean External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong Ho and the delegation led by Governor Oleg Kozhemyako, aimed to escalate economic cooperation to “higher levels.” However, specific areas of cooperation weren’t specified in the report.
Governor Kozhemyako mentioned his anticipation of talks regarding expanded cooperation in agriculture, tourism, and trade with North Korea in statements made to Russian media ahead of his visit.
This diplomatic exchange signifies the ongoing flurry of interactions between North Korea and Russia, highlighted by a Kim-Putin summit earlier in the year. These engagements underscore mutual interests amid separate, escalating tensions with the United States.
Both the U.S. and South Korea have accused North Korea of supplying weaponry to Russia for conflict with Ukraine, a claim denied by Russia and North Korea.
Further concerns revolve around North Korea potentially sending workers to Russia, violating U.N. Security Council sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service mentioned detecting indications of such preparations without specifying the details.
In response, South Korea’s Unification Minister, Kim Yung Ho, emphasized the monitoring of Russian acceptance of North Korean labor, highlighting that such actions would breach U.N. sanctions.
Previously, North Korea had hinted at sending construction workers to Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine. Russian officials openly welcomed this idea, foreseeing a cost-efficient, diligent workforce for reconstruction projects in challenging conditions.