＜Inside N. Korea＞ 100 Workers from Musan Mine Depart for Russia — "They Won't Be Sent to the Front, But Families Are Worried" — Is the Goal to Offset a Massive Trade Deficit?

Approximately 100 workers from the Musan iron ore mine in North Hamgyong Province in northern North Korea departed for Russia in January, according to information received in mid-February from a reporting partner living in Musan County. They left without being told where they would be working or what tasks they would perform. The acceptance of North Korean workers by Russia violates UN Security Council sanctions. (ISHIMARU Jiro / KANG Ji-won)

＜Ultra-Telephoto Footage＞ Bridge Construction Between N. Korea and Russia Progressing Steadily - Dump Trucks, Cranes... Chinese Heavy Equipment in Action

◆ Departing via Rason by Train or Ship

The Musan mine is North Korea's largest iron ore mine, with a total workforce estimated at around 10,000. According to ASIAPRESS research, dispatches of workers to Russia began increasing around October–November 2024, when the Kim Jong-un regime deployed troops to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The following is a summary of the reporting partner's account in question-and-answer format.

— When did workers from the Musan mine start leaving for Russia this year, and how many have gone?
"I heard it started on January 12. They departed in groups of 30 to 35 at a time. I know that more than 100 had left the country by January 29, but I don't know what happened after that. I heard they're leaving via Rason, but I don't know whether they're going by ship or by train. Workers were told to bring motion sickness medication, though."

◆ Streamlined Procedures — Recently Discharged Soldiers Excluded for Causing Problems

— How were workers selected?
"At first there was talk of selecting people from across North Hamgyong Province, but the mine has a very large workforce and there hasn't been much work lately, so workers were selected collectively from within the mine and organized into work teams. Selection goes in order, starting with Korean Workers' Party members who have one or two children and who faithfully participate in organizational activities. People who had recently been discharged from the military were all excluded. I heard it was because they have trouble readjusting to civilian life and cause problems. The process for going to Russia used to be complicated, but this time it wasn't."

— Where will they be working, and what will they be doing?
"They weren't told where they're going. I hear they'll be doing mine work in Russia too, but nobody knows the specifics. I heard the contract is for one year, though I'm not sure that's accurate either."