North Korea’s Seventh General Bureau has launched a recruitment campaign to send soldiers for construction work in Russia, Daily NK has learned.<\/p>\n
A source in North Korea told Daily NK recently that the initiative began following orders from the Central Committee on Feb. 4. “The Seventh General Bureau is working with Namgang Trading Company on this recruitment drive, which started Feb. 6 and will continue for four months,” the source said.<\/p>\n
The program appears to address Russia’s construction worker shortage, a consequence of its ongoing war with Ukraine. According to the source, North Korean authorities approached Moscow in late 2024 with a proposal to send active-duty soldiers to Russian construction projects. Russian officials approved the plan in early February.<\/p>\n
The bureau aims to select 1,000 soldiers who have served at least three years, organizing them into three groups of roughly 300 each. These units will primarily work at construction sites in Vladivostok, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk.<\/p>\n
“This initiative is part of the military’s broader effort to meet government foreign currency quotas,” the source explained. The bureau plans to recruit and train multiple groups of soldiers for deployment to Russian construction sites before June’s end.<\/p>\n
Namgang Trading Company, based in Russia, will oversee the project. The company specializes in managing overseas construction deployments and other foreign currency-earning ventures.<\/p>\n
The arrangement appears mutually beneficial, addressing both Russia’s labor needs and North Korea’s desire for foreign currency. “Russian officials welcomed the idea of bringing in North Korean military personnel through Namgang Trading Company,” the source said. “The Seventh General Bureau is now focused on selecting project managers.”<\/p>\n
North Korean leadership expects significant economic benefits. “Party officials anticipate a substantial increase in foreign currency earnings during the second half of this year if deployment proceeds as planned,” the source noted. “They see this military construction initiative as a milestone in North Korea-Russia economic cooperation.”<\/p>\n
While the sudden recruitment drive caught many soldiers by surprise, the response has been largely positive. “The troops understand they must follow government orders, but many welcome this unusual opportunity to work abroad and earn money,” the source said. The prospect of international experience and financial rewards has generated considerable interest among personnel in the Seventh General Bureau.<\/p>\n