Russia has increased its quota for North Korean students eligible for free higher education to 170 for 2026, according to a top official, even as data shows thousands of DPRK nationals entering the country “for study” while working at construction sites and factories.

Pavel Shevtsov, deputy head of Rossotrudnichestvo, told the state-run RIA Novosti last week that the quota would increase from the 2025 limit of 100 eligible students. Rossotrudnichestvo is a federal agency in charge of promoting Russian culture overseas.

The quota has now increased more than threefold from 2024, when Russia allocated 52 seats in response to requests