North Koreans in Russia
Encyclopedia
North Koreans in Russia consist mainly of three groups: international students, guest workers, and defectors and refugees
. A 2006 study by Kyung Hee University estimated their total population at roughly 10,000.
Aside from North Korea
n citizens living in Russia
, there has also historically been significant migration from the northern provinces of Korea, especially Hamgyong
, to the Russian Far East
; this population of migrants became known as the Koryo-saram
. 65% of the Sakhalin Koreans
also took up North Korean citizenship
in the 1950s and 1960s in order to avoid statelessness
; roughly one thousand even repatriated to North Korea, though their ancestral homes were in the southern half of the Korean peninsula
. In addition, various senior members of the Workers' Party of Korea
, including Kim Il-sung
himself, lived in Russia prior to Korean independence
and the establishment of North Korea.
. During the post-Korean War
reconstruction period of North Korea
from 1953 to 1962, many North Korean students enrolled in universities and colleges in countries of the Soviet bloc, including Russia, and others came as industrial trainees. The first wave of North Korean labour migration to the Soviet Union began at this time; around 25,000 workers also came to work in fisheries
during the 1950s. The second wave, which began in 1966 under a secret agreement between Leonid Brezhnev
and Kim Il-sung in Vladivostok
, involved North Koreans working as lumberjacks; roughly 15,000 to 20,000 were present in any given year. The first two waves consisted mostly of criminals or political prisoners
; however, the most recent influx of North Korean workers, which began under the government of Vladimir Putin
, is composed of volunteers seeking to escape unemployment and poverty at home. Most are from Pyongyang
; recruitment companies prefer workers from urban areas, as they are believed to adapt better to life overseas. , more than 10,000 North Koreans entered Russia on work visas annually, largely headed for the Russian Far East
. They are closely monitored by North Korean security forces to prevent defections; many report being paid in scrip
rather than legal currency. The North Korean government was estimated to earn roughly US$
7 million each year in foreign exchange through their workers in Russia.
has also resulted in an increasing number of North Korean refugees in Russia, also in the eastern regions. Both South Korean diplomatic missions
and local ethnic Koreans are reluctant to provide them with any assistance; it is believed that North Korea ordered the assassination of South Korea
n consul Choi Duk-gun in 1996 as well as two private citizens in 1995, in response to their contact with the refugees. As of 1999, there were estimated to be only between 100 and 500 North Korean refugees in the area. However, their numbers grew rapidly. In 2003, Sergey Darkin, the governor of Primorsky Krai
, suggested allowing up to 150,000 North Korean refugees in China to settle in Russia, but his plan never came to fruition. In November 2007, militia abducted a North Korean asylum seeker in front of a Federal Migration Service office in Moscow which turned him over to agents of the North Korean special services. The refugee later escaped from a facility in Vladivostok, and intervention by the NGO Civic Assistance and UNHCR prevented his deportation.
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
. A 2006 study by Kyung Hee University estimated their total population at roughly 10,000.
Aside from North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n citizens living in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, there has also historically been significant migration from the northern provinces of Korea, especially Hamgyong
Hamgyong
Hamgyŏng was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hamgyŏng was located in the northeast of Korea. The provincial capital was Hamhŭng.-History:...
, to the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
; this population of migrants became known as the Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram is the name which ethnic Koreans in the post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. Approximately 500,000 ethnic Koreans reside in the former Soviet Union, primarily in the now-independent states of Central Asia. There are also large Korean communities in southern Russia , the...
. 65% of the Sakhalin Koreans
Sakhalin Koreans
Sakhalin Koreans are Russian citizens and residents of Korean descent living on Sakhalin Island, who trace their roots to the immigrants from the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces of Korea during the late 1930s and early 1940s, the latter half of the Japanese colonial era...
also took up North Korean citizenship
Nationality Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The nationality law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea governs who is a citizen of the DPRK, and how one may gain or lose such citizenship.-History:Up until 1963, the DPRK had no formal nationality law...
in the 1950s and 1960s in order to avoid statelessness
Statelessness
Statelessness is a legal concept describing the lack of any nationality. It is the absence of a recognized link between an individual and any state....
; roughly one thousand even repatriated to North Korea, though their ancestral homes were in the southern half of the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. In addition, various senior members of the Workers' Party of Korea
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
, including Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
himself, lived in Russia prior to Korean independence
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
and the establishment of North Korea.
Migration history
In the late 1940s, roughly 8,000 North Korean migrant workers were recruited by the Soviet government to work in state-owned fisheries on SakhalinSakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
. During the post-Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
reconstruction period of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
from 1953 to 1962, many North Korean students enrolled in universities and colleges in countries of the Soviet bloc, including Russia, and others came as industrial trainees. The first wave of North Korean labour migration to the Soviet Union began at this time; around 25,000 workers also came to work in fisheries
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
during the 1950s. The second wave, which began in 1966 under a secret agreement between Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
and Kim Il-sung in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, involved North Koreans working as lumberjacks; roughly 15,000 to 20,000 were present in any given year. The first two waves consisted mostly of criminals or political prisoners
Human rights in North Korea
The human rights record of North Korea is extremely hard to fully assess due to the secretive and closed nature of the country. The North Korean government makes it very difficult for foreigners to enter the country and strictly monitors their activities when they do...
; however, the most recent influx of North Korean workers, which began under the government of Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, is composed of volunteers seeking to escape unemployment and poverty at home. Most are from Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
; recruitment companies prefer workers from urban areas, as they are believed to adapt better to life overseas. , more than 10,000 North Koreans entered Russia on work visas annually, largely headed for the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
. They are closely monitored by North Korean security forces to prevent defections; many report being paid in scrip
Scrip
Scrip is an American term for any substitute for currency which is not legal tender and is often a form of credit. Scrips were created as company payment of employees and also as a means of payment in times where regular money is unavailable, such as remote coal towns, military bases, ships on long...
rather than legal currency. The North Korean government was estimated to earn roughly US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7 million each year in foreign exchange through their workers in Russia.
Refugees
The decline of the economy of North KoreaEconomy of North Korea
The economy of North Korea is an industrialized and centrally planned economy.North Korea's economy remains one of the world's last centrally planned systems. The role of market allocation is sharply limited – mainly in the rural sector where some peasants sell produce from small private plots....
has also resulted in an increasing number of North Korean refugees in Russia, also in the eastern regions. Both South Korean diplomatic missions
South Korean diplomatic missions
This is a list of diplomatic missions of South Korea. In the 1980s the Roh Tae-woo government gradually initiated diplomatic links with the Soviet bloc, in a policy known as Nordpolitik, leading to the opening of representative offices and later embassies in socialist regimes in Europe and Asia...
and local ethnic Koreans are reluctant to provide them with any assistance; it is believed that North Korea ordered the assassination of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n consul Choi Duk-gun in 1996 as well as two private citizens in 1995, in response to their contact with the refugees. As of 1999, there were estimated to be only between 100 and 500 North Korean refugees in the area. However, their numbers grew rapidly. In 2003, Sergey Darkin, the governor of Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
, suggested allowing up to 150,000 North Korean refugees in China to settle in Russia, but his plan never came to fruition. In November 2007, militia abducted a North Korean asylum seeker in front of a Federal Migration Service office in Moscow which turned him over to agents of the North Korean special services. The refugee later escaped from a facility in Vladivostok, and intervention by the NGO Civic Assistance and UNHCR prevented his deportation.