In brief
A recent study by the Environmental Justice Foundation uncovers the exploitative circumstances of North Korean fishermen aboard Chinese tuna longliners. Working under dire conditions with little pay, these workers contribute to funding Kim Jong-un’s regime while remaining isolated from the outside world.
The plight of North Korean fishermen remains a largely overlooked issue, as many toil aboard Chinese tuna longliners in the Indian Ocean for extended periods, often up to a decade. A new report released by the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation sheds light on the harsh realities faced by these workers, who find themselves far from home and subjected to cruel labor conditions. Many of these fishermen rarely set foot on land, as their Chinese captains seek to avoid scrutiny from port authorities.Despite the United Nations' ban on hiring North Korean workers—a response to concerns that such labor finances Kim Jong-un's nuclear weapons program—tens of thousands of North Koreans continue to be sent overseas for labor. This report explains how their earnings frequently benefit the regime rather than the workers themselves. North Koreans have historically found work in various sectors across the globe, including factories in China, construction projects in Russia, and even farms in Eastern Europe. Notably, around 11,000 North Koreans joined the ranks of Russian forces in support of the war against Ukraine.The Environmental Justice Foundation's report indicates that the labor conditions experienced by these fishermen constitute forced labor of a severity that outstrips much of the abuse prevalent in the global fishing industry. Hidden from public awareness due to the vastness of the oceans, these workers lead isolated lives, cut off from not just the world, but often from their own families for years at a time.
