North Korean diplomats are moonlighting as couriers, ferrying cash and letters from Russian-based laborers to their families back home. This underground delivery service has surged with the recent uptick in air traffic between North Korea and Russia, offering a lifeline to workers abroad but at a steep price.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in Russia reported recently that North Koreans in Russia have been able to send letters or cash home by plane for the past month or so.
These “cash delivery people” are usually diplomats working at North Korean consulates in Russia. They take remittance requests from North Koreans in Russia in return for a commission as a private moneymaking gig.
Even before COVID-19, North Korean consulate staff made money by performing delivery services. With the outbreak of COVID-19, letter and cash deliveries stopped as flights between North Korea and Russia came to a halt. However, with the pandemic ending and frequent flights between North Korea and Russia operating recently, consular staff have resumed their delivery side hustles.
North Korean laborers have been ecstatic about the delivery service. Unlike military construction workers, who receive their salaries as a lump sum right before they return home, civilian laborers receive their salaries monthly, and most carry their cash on their person.
North Korean laborers live in groups, so they have nowhere safe to put their individual savings. Afraid of losing their cash, they go about with their money strapped to their chests at all times.
Particularly skilled workers privately work overtime to earn money, which means they have even more cash to protect.
Upon hearing news of the restart of cash delivery services, laborers have been rushing to contact delivery persons, the source said.
Delivery costs are steep
In the past, laborers paid 10% of the remitted sum as a commission when sending cash from Russia to North Korea through delivery persons. However, delivery persons now charge 25% to 30% commissions depending on the region of destination because travel inside North Korea remains a hassle.
For example, in the past, when a North Korean laborer in Russia sent home USD 500, he had to pay a USD 50 commission. Now, however, he’ll pay up to USD 150.
Delivery costs have tripled, but North Korean laborers—biting the bullet—have been sending their savings to their families at home, the source said. Because even a sum of just USD 100 is of great help to North Koreans, the laborers have been enduring the high commissions to send money to their relatives.
The cash is mostly delivered in person, so laborers in Russia also write letters to send to their families at home.
Diplomats at consulates have made a killing delivering cash from Russia to North Korea.
“Russia is where North Korean foreign ministry employees want to work most,” the source said. “Russia is the only country in the world where foreign ministry employees can make so much money.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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