Experts estimate that as many as 50,000 North Koreans are working outside North Korea in many different industry sectors around the world. In most cases the workers are not working of their own free will and a large percentage of their pay is presumably confiscated by the North Korean government. Media reports have cited sub-contracting by Chinese apparel factories to factories in North Korea, and the use of North Korean workers in Chinese factories.
This issue brief examines the question: how should FLA members respond to the risk of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korean) labor in their supply chains?Â
More FLA News
-
Advocacy
FLA and AAFA urge the King of Jordan to maintain ILO-IFC Better Work Jordan & the Workers Center
June 2, 2025 View FLA and AAFA urge the King of Jordan to maintain ILO-IFC Better Work Jordan & the Workers Center -
Fair Labor
FLA selects Janet Gilbert as inaugural Eric Biel Fellow for International Labor Rights
May 27, 2025 View FLA selects Janet Gilbert as inaugural Eric Biel Fellow for International Labor Rights -
Human Rights Due Diligence+2Supply Chain TransparencyUpstream Supply Chains
FLA, Impactt release new study on labor conditions in leather supply chains
May 15, 2025 View FLA, Impactt release new study on labor conditions in leather supply chains