According to a new investigation by the United Nations, North Korea has been sending thousands of workers abroad to earn foreign currency for the country, in defiance of UN sanctions. The report charges North Korea with breaking the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which bans forced labor. Over 50,000 North Korean workers are earning money for the company working long hours with little rest, often in unsafe conditions. The report states that the country, whose financial situation has been tenuous for years, earns over $1 billion annually from its workers abroad. The UN report further recommends charging North Korea for human rights violations in the International Criminal Court.
See "UN investigator: North Koreans doing forced labor abroad to earn foreign currency for country", Edith M. Lederer, October 29, 2015