The Korea Times
Russia granted more than 36,000 entry visas to North Koreans in 2025, according to new consular data, amid the allies’ flourishing cooperation over the war in Ukraine. The data released on Wednesday shows that Russia’s diplomatic missions issued North Korean nationals a total of 36,413 visas, a fourfold increase from 9,239 visas in 2024. Over 98 percent, or 35,839 visas, were for education, compared with 8,616 the year before. An NK Pro investigation previously uncovered how Russian firms use student visas to procure North Korean workers. Such visas are typically arranged through educational institutions under the pretense of professional training, while Russian businesses actually employ the workers. The scheme helps Russian entrepreneurs bypass U.N. Security Council Resolution 2375, which bans North Korean workers from earning income abroad and prohibits member states from issuing them work permits. The official data for last year does not record any work visas for North Koreans. The last time Russia said it issued such a visa to North Korean nationals was in 2019, before a U.N. de
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