A shocking report exposes how Chinese fishing vessels systematically employed North Korean crews between 2019 and 2024, violating multiple United Nations sanctions. The London-based Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) documented 12 Chinese tuna long-liners using North Korean laborers in the southwest Indian Ocean through interviews with 19 Southeast Asian crew members.
North Koreans were forced to work up to 10 years at sea – some never touching land,states the EJF report. Investigators found workers being transferred between vessels to prevent repatriation, with Asian crewmates confirming:
- Complete isolation from port visits
- Mobile phone bans
- No shore leave for years
This scheme violates 2017 UN Security Council Resolution 2375 banning North Korean overseas labor. China – North Korea’s primary ally – failed to repatriate workers by the 2019 deadline. Analysts suggest this enables Pyongyang to fund its nuclear program through $500 million in annual overseas worker revenue.
The EJF report marks the first confirmed use of North Korean labor in distant-water fishing. Previous sanctions focused on factories and construction sites. This forced labor scale surpasses typical industry abuses, researchers emphasized, noting implications for:
- US/EU import controls
- Global seafood supply chains
- UN sanctions enforcement
China’s Foreign Ministry declined comment. Observers note Beijing has repeatedly blocked stricter North Korea sanctions despite ongoing missile tests. Over 100,000 North Korean workers reportedly remain abroad – many in Chinese/Russian industries – with up to 90% of wages seized by Pyongyang.
