The Hidden Lives of North Korean Fishermen in the Indian Ocean
For nearly a decade, North Korean fishermen endured some of the harshest conditions imaginable while working on board Chinese tuna longliners in the Indian Ocean. Their lives were marked by isolation, exploitation, and relentless labor. Many of these men never set foot on land during their time at sea, as their Chinese captains sought to avoid detection by port authorities. Their wages, often meager, were largely appropriated by the North Korean government, which used this revenue to prop up its struggling economy. Meanwhile, the fish they caught likely ended up on dinner tables in Europe and Asia, unknowingly consumed by people who could never imagine the suffering behind the catch. These North Korean fishermen, according to a report by the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation, are part of a broader strategy by North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to generate revenue for his regime through forced labor.
Forced Labor at Sea: North Korea’s Hidden Workforce
The United Nations has explicitly banned member states from hiring North Korean workers, as it is well-documented that the Kim regime uses these workers to funnel money into its nuclear weapons program. Despite this, North Korea has sent tens of thousands of its citizens abroad to work in various industries, from factories and logging camps to construction sites and farms. The fishing industry, however, has remained one of the most secretive and brutal sectors. North Korean fishermen, assigned to Chinese tuna longliners, were subjected to conditions that constitute forced labor. They were often trapped at sea for years, unable to contact their families or leave their vessels. The report by the Environmental Justice Foundation paints a grim picture: these men were coerced into working long hours with little rest, their movements tightly controlled, and their wages confiscated by their government.
North Korean Fishermen: Invisible Victims of Exploitation
The plight of North Korean fishermen has long gone unnoticed, as they operated in the vast and inaccessible expanse of the Indian Ocean. Their isolation was both physical and emotional, with many spending years without setting foot on land or speaking to their families. The Environmental Justice Foundation’s report reveals that the conditions faced by these men were worse than the already poor standards prevalent in the global fishing industry. Their salaries were heavily controlled, with most of the money going directly to the North Korean government. Some of the fishermen reported that they were only allowed to keep a small portion of their wages, often just enough to survive. Their lives were a testament to the extreme exploitation faced by North Korean workers abroad, who are forced to toil under the guise of earning a living but are, in reality, modern-day slaves.
Global Markets and the Invisible Supply Chain
The fish caught by North Korean fishermen on board these Chinese vessels has likely entered the global market, including Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia. The Environmental Justice Foundation identified at least 12 Chinese-flagged tuna longliners that employed North Korean labor between 2019 and 2023. Four of these vessels were authorized to export fish to Europe and the UK, while others transferred their catch to carrier ships that frequented markets in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. This means that consumers in these regions may have unknowingly purchased seafood linked to forced labor. The report highlights the complexity of the global supply chain, where the origin of products is often obscured, and the human cost of production remains invisible to the end consumer.
The Human Cost: Stories of Suffering and Separation
The Environmental Justice Foundation’s report is based on interviews with 19 Indonesian and Filipino shipmates who worked alongside North Korean fishermen. These interviews provide a window into the lives of the North Koreans, who were often transferred between ships at sea to avoid detection by port authorities. Their Indonesian and Filipino colleagues recalled how the North Koreans were homesick and deeply tragedic, unable to communicate with their families for years. One Indonesian fisherman shared the story of a North Korean crew member who was finally allowed to return home after seven years at sea. The man was so overwhelmed with emotion that he refused to sleep, instead sitting on the deck and watching the other crew members work. These personal stories humanize the North Korean fishermen, revealing the emotional toll of their forced labor.
Coercion, Control, and the Broader Context of North Korea’s Labor Export
The North Korean government’s practice of sending workers abroad is not limited to the fishing industry. For over three decades, North Korea has exported its labor force to countries around the world, earning up to billions of dollars annually, according to South Korean estimates. These workers are often subjected to harsh conditions, with their wages heavily controlled by the regime. In 2017, the UN Security Council passed a resolution requiring member states to expel North Korean workers by the end of 2019, but thousands remain in over 40 countries. North Korean workers are also required to act as informants, spying on each other to ensure loyalty to the regime. The Environmental Justice Foundation’s report underscores the need for greater awareness of this exploitation and the importance of holding governments and industries accountable for their complicity in human rights abuses.
In conclusion, the story of North Korean fishermen working on Chinese tuna longliners is a tale of exploitation, suffering, and invisibility. Their labor, hidden from the world, has contributed to the global seafood market while lining the coffers of one of the world’s most repressive regimes. It is a reminder of the human cost behind the products we consume and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the global supply chain.
