North Korean won
The won (; , ; symbol: ₩; code: KPW) or Korean People's won is the official currency of North Korea. It is subdivided into 100 "chon". The won is issued by the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based in the capital city, Pyongyang.
North Koreans in Russia
However, the most recent influx of North Korean workers, which began under the government of Vladimir Putin, is composed of volunteers seeking to escape unemployment and poverty at home. Most are from Pyongyang; recruitment companies prefer workers from urban areas, as they are believed to adapt better to life in other countries. By 2006, more than 10,000 North Koreans entered Russia on work visas annually, largely headed for the Russian Far East. They are closely monitored by North Korean security forces to prevent defections; many report being paid in scrip rather than legal currency. In 2009 the North Korean government was estimated to earn roughly US$7 million each year in foreign exchange through their workers in Russia. In 2010 reports came out from Nakhodka indicating that North Korean workers and traders there had been evacuated back to their home country due to rising military tensions with South Korea. In 2011 Kim Jong-il made a visit to Russia in which he reportedly negotiated for even more North Korean workers to be sent to Russia. Up to 70% of the $40 to $100 per month wages earned by the workers are reported to be taken away as "loyalty payments".