According to North Korean defectors who fled Russia, the DPRK sends its citizens to work in Russia, where they are forced to labor for 18 hours daily, with only two days off per year. Six escapees interviewed by a BBC correspondent in Seoul described these conditions as akin to slavery.
One informant, Jin (name changed for safety), reported being transported to the Far East by air. Upon landing, an agent from North Korea's secret service escorted him to a construction site, strictly forbidding any contact with outsiders or even looking around. "The outside world is our enemy," the escort declared.
The interviewees told the journalist they were forced to work on residential construction projects from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m., with virtually no days off.