N. Korea may send workers to Russian-occupied east Ukraine

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As the war in Ukraine stretches into its seventh month, North Korea is hinting at its interest in sending construction workers to help rebuild Russian-occupied territories in the country’s east. The idea is openly endorsed by senior Russian officials and diplomats, who foresee a cheap and hard-working workforce that could be thrown into the “most arduous conditions.” North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow recently met with envoys from two Russia-backed separatist territories in the Donbas region of Ukraine and expressed optimism about cooperation in the “field of labor migration.” Experts say it’s highly likely North Korea will supply labor to Donbas when the fighting eases to boost its own broken economy.