North Korea eyes Russian industrial market
Feb 27th 2026
Pyongyang has ordered a move from goods trade to industrial participation in Russia, targeting sectors such as autos, phones and electronics and instructing negotiators to prioritize production roles and wage competitiveness.
- The Workers' Party told the Ministry of External Economic Relations in early February to pursue industrial footholds in Russia now dominated by Chinese firms.
- Pyongyang plans to shift from trade in goods to direct industrial participation in autos, mobile phones and electronics.
- Recommended tactics include maximizing wage competitiveness, simplifying contract terms and using skilled adaptable workers to win production roles.
- Negotiators are told to push for production jobs at joint ventures and subcontractors so workers can acquire technological knowhow.
- Talks and outreach are slated to begin in late February to align with Russian and Chinese companies' year-start planning, and Daily NK cites anonymous inside sources for the report.