Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - North Korea has rejected a new international report accusing Pyongyang of continuing to deploy workers overseas in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) estimates that between 35,600 and 101,280 North Korean workers remain in at least 17 countries, mainly China and Russia. The team says the workers generated an estimated $450 million to $800 million in 2025.
Pyongyang has dismissed the findings and attacked the legitimacy of the MSMT, describing it as an organization without legal authority. North Korea says its overseas economic cooperation is legitimate and should not be subject to investigation by a third party.
The dispute comes as the MSMT alleges that some North Korean workers in Russia have been involved in military drone production, while large numbers remain employed in Chinese industries.
The report is putting renewed pressure on governments hosting North Korean workers and raising questions about how effectively existing sanctions are being enforced. The MSMT says North Korea continues to use overseas labor to generate foreign currency and has urged countries to enforce existing UN measures.
With tensions surrounding Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs remaining high, the latest confrontation could bring increased international scrutiny of North Korea’s economic networks and its cooperation with Russia and China.
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