It is estimated that North Korean troops deployed to Russia are earning monthly salaries of around $2,000 (approximately 2.76 million won), a figure inferred from the treatment of foreign recruits by the Russian government in similar circumstances. This amount is at least 23 times the per capita gross national income (GNI) of North Korea.
On October 19, Deutsche Welle reported details of how Russia recruits foreign mercenaries and the wages they are paid, based on an interview with a Sri Lankan man who had joined the Russian military but was later captured by Ukrainian forces.
According to the report, foreign soldiers earn between $2,000 and $2,300 per month. This is similar to the salary paid to Russian soldiers, which is said to be around 200,000 rubles (about $2,080).
However, the initial lump-sum payment for newly enlisted foreign soldiers is significantly lower than that for Russian nationals. The Sri Lankan soldier, captured by Ukrainian forces, said he received $2,000 as a signing bonus. In contrast, Russian authorities have provided lump-sum payments of up to 1.9 million rubles (about $20,000) to Russian soldiers, a difference of nearly tenfold.
For North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia, both the monthly salary and signing bonuses represent substantial amounts. The monthly wages earned by foreign mercenaries in Russia are 23 times the monthly GNI per capita in North Korea, which was approximately 135,000 won ($98) in 2023, according to the Bank of Korea.
However, considering the case of North Korean overseas workers, who receive only a small portion of their wages after most is sent to the regime, it is unclear whether their soldiers will earn such an amount of money.
Most foreign soldiers employed by Russia are from economically disadvantaged countries. Petro Yatsenko, a Ukrainian prisoner of war handler, stated that about 10 foreign mercenaries, including individuals from Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Cuba, are currently being held by Ukrainian forces.
Russia primarily uses social media to advertise military recruitment, promising jobs and assuring recruits they will only be stationed in inland Russia. CNN reported that Russia had recruited around 15,000 Nepalese soldiers earlier this year, according to sources.
Not all foreign recruits are misled by such advertisements; some have prior military experience, Yatsenko explained. However, countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka are demanding the return of their citizens from Russia.
Desertion cases have also been reported among foreign mercenaries. The Ukrainian military intelligence agency (HUR) reported that in May, a group of Nepalese soldiers stationed in Luhansk deserted. Similarly, 22 Sri Lankan soldiers were reported to have deserted in June.
A human rights activist working to assist Russian deserters criticized Russia’s recruitment tactics, noting that the methods used to recruit foreign soldiers are no different from those for Russian citizens. “They take advantage of their lack of legal knowledge and their unstable financial situations,” the activist pointed out.
BY JAESUNG BAE, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
