Seoul: An estimated 4,000 North Koreans are working at major construction sites near the Kuwaiti capital and living in military-style camps run by the North Korean government, a media report said on Monday.
"We have figured out that there are around 4,000 North Koreans working at major construction sites to build homes, hospitals and other facilities in a suburb area of Kuwait City, including Jahar," an unidentified South Korean diplomat was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in a dispatch from Kuwait City.
A North Korean worker in Kuwait earns up to USD 500 per month, but nearly four-fifths of the worker`s monthly salary is directly deposited into accounts controlled by the North Korean government, according to the diplomat.
"A North Korean worker is believed to actually receive USD 100 per month, with their jobs ranging from plasterers, carpenters, welders to drivers at the construction sites," the diplomat said.
North Korea has recruited its people to work abroad and reportedly kept most of their earnings, one of the few sources of hard currency. Along with China and Russia, the Middle East is a major destination for North Korean labourers.
Kyodo
PTI
