North Korean man 'sets himself on fire' in Russia after being sent to country for 'forced labour'
The man, who was not named in local reports, was found dead on New Year's Day
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A North Korean man forced to work in Russia has reportedly died after setting himself on fire in a car park.
The man, who was not publicly named, died in the southern city of Vladivostok, near the Chinese and North Korean borders.
Authorities told the Prima Media website that he had died after dousing himself with a flammable liquid and setting himself on fire next to a block of flats overnight on New Year’s Eve.
Footage posted on YouTube on 1 January appeared to show firefighters using a fire extinguisher on his corpse at the scene.
A suicide note in reportedly found at the scene said in Korean: “I'm tired of hard work every day. I blame nobody for my death,” according to a translation by Chosun Ilbo.
The South Korean newspaper reported that the man was working on a construction site in Russia, where North Korean workers are monitored by agents sent by Pyongyang and can work up to 16 hours a day.
Last year, the BBC reported that North Korean workers are kept in “guarded compounds” in Vladivostok, where one of the men told how they had “no choice” but to come and did not receive their salary.
Marzuki Darusman, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, has condemned the system of hiring North Korean workers in Russia and several other countries as “forced labour”, allowing Kim Jong-un’s government to earn billions of dollars in foreign currency.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments