The number of North Koreans entering Russia sharply increased in the third quarter of 2023, nearly matching the total for the entire first half of the year, a surge that experts attribute to ongoing transfers of laborers and the deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Three-hundred-sixty-five North Koreans entered Russia in the third quarter, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) data shows. The majority (253) entered Russia for “business” purposes, followed by 62 for “education,” 24 for “private” reasons, 23 “vehicle maintenance personnel” and three DPRK nationals who entered for “work.”

Anthony Rinna, a senior editor with the Sino-NK research group,