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North Korean Workers Could Be Sent to Rebuild Ukrainian Territory Controlled by Russia, Ambassador Says

Russia’s diplomat in Pyongyang bragged that Kim Jong Un’s captive population could be tapped “in the most difficult conditions.”

North Korean builders could be shipped to parts of eastern Ukraine under Russian control to restore infrastructure destroyed in the conflict, the Russian ambassador in Pyongyang said. Alexander Matsegora floated the idea of sending the workers to the self-proclaimed people’s republics in Donetsk and Luhansk during an interview with a Russian newspaper, according to South Korea’s NK News outlet. Matsegora reportedly said there were “a lot of opportunities” for cooperation between Pyongyang and the breakaway republics despite UN sanctions on North Korea. He added that “highly qualified and hard-working Korean builders, who are capable of working in the most difficult conditions, could help us restore our social, infrastructure and industrial facilities.” News of the proposal comes after Ukraine cut diplomatic ties with Kim Jong Un’s regime after it formally recognized the two territories in eastern Ukraine as independent.