North Korea maintained an estimated 35,600 to 101,280 workers in at least 17 countries, generating $450 million to $800 million in foreign currency last year despite United Nations restrictions. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team said North Korea confiscated 80% to 90% of workers' wages, helping finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. China hosted an estimated 20,000 to 70,000 workers, while Russia hosted 15,000 to 30,000, including an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 working under cover at drone factories. Russian-based workers earned an average of about $7,500 annually, with monthly pay in some sectors as much as five times higher than in China. The MSMT said at least 10,000 new North Korean workers entered China between January 2025 and January 2026, after 10,000 to 20,000 had been repatriated between 2023 and 2025. Eleven countries urged host nations to comply with Security Council resolutions and called for the restoration of the panel of experts disbanded in March 2024.