Despite the tough - and often life-threatening conditions - that North Korean laborers abroad find themselves in, it has long been considered a highly-desirable job. Ju Seong-ha, arguably the most prominent South Korean journalist with a North Korean refugee background, was quite definite with the title of a 2014 piece: “A North Korean worker’s dream: Being sent overseas."

In interviews with roughly a dozen former North Korean workers abroad, virtually all say the same thing: an overseas job might be hard, risky and demanding, but it is still sought after and vastly preferable to work at home, not only because the pay is much higher, but also because the work conditions tend to be better.