December 07, 2023
Border Controls

North Koreans still in Russian territory not a sanctions violation, MFA insists

Foreign ministry accuses other UN member states of interpreting Security Council resolutions in "distorted" way

The roughly thousand North Korean workers who remain in Russia do not constitute a violation of international sanctions on the DPRK, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) insisted on Thursday, amid reported criticism from UN member states about Moscow's implementation of UN resolutions.

The statement, issued by the Russian foreign ministry, comes in response to a previously-undisclosed letter by Germany's permanent mission to the UN on behalf of 28 member states reportedly raising questions about the country's "diligence" in enforcing sanctions.