North Korea to send medical workers to Russia amid struggles to modernize healthcare

North Korea is expected to send a significant number of healthcare workers to Russia for training as it grapples with limited domestic capabilities to modernize rural health services. This comes after leader Kim Jong Un pledged in early February to make healthcare improvements a “top priority,” acknowledging a stark disparity between urban and rural medical facilities.

Kim unveiled an ambitious plan to construct 20 hospitals annually across cities and counties starting in 2026. However, experts say North Korea lacks the necessary infrastructure, funding, and expertise to achieve this goal independently.

“Given the fact that the Pyongyang General Hospital, which began construction in March 2020, has still not opened, and that this year’s healthcare budget has only increased by 5.6% compared to last year, it is difficult for North Korea to achieve this on its own, making external help inevitable,” said Jeong Eun-mi, a researcher at the Korean Institute for National Unification.

North Korea has long concentrated resources in Pyongyang to maintain its image as a model city, often at the expense of rural development. If even the capital struggles to complete a major hospital project, experts argue that smaller towns and villages stand little chance of seeing significant investment.

Kim has urged medical professionals to improve their skills in line with modern advancements, emphasizing the need for foreign language proficiency—an indication that overseas training could play a key role in the healthcare overhaul. Jeong predicts that a “significant number” of North Korean medical personnel will be sent to Russia under a strategic partnership treaty signed in June last year. The agreement, established during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, includes cooperation in healthcare, medical education, and science. As part of the deal, Russia has pledged to assist in the construction of a new hospital in North Korea.

“Most North Korean healthcare workers lack experience in operating modern medical facilities and have limited academic qualifications and medical skills,” Jeong explained.

Despite North Korea’s efforts to expand medical cooperation with Russia, concerns about the quality of its healthcare system persist. A Russian soldier, identified as Aleksei, recently shared his experience of receiving medical treatment in North Korea, telling *The Guardian*, “It wasn’t what I expected, but I thought I should try it out.”

Aleksei was among hundreds of Russian soldiers secretly sent to North Korea for rehabilitation after fighting in Ukraine. Russia’s ambassador to North Korea confirmed earlier this month that “hundreds of Russian soldiers” were recovering in North Korean sanatoriums and medical facilities.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that North Korea has also been sending troops to support Russia’s war efforts. According to Ukrainian officials, around 4,000 of the estimated 12,000 North Korean troops dispatched to Russia’s Kursk region last year have been killed or wounded—claims that both Moscow and Pyongyang have refused to acknowledge.

While receiving treatment in Wonsan, a coastal city known for its beach resorts, Aleksei shared accommodations with about two dozen Russian soldiers. He spent his days playing table tennis and cards with fellow servicemen while enjoying access to a pool and sauna. However, strict restrictions were in place. He and his comrades were not allowed outside in the evenings or permitted to interact with locals. Alcohol, he noted, was also difficult to obtain.

As North Korea deepens its ties with Russia, the collaboration on healthcare training highlights the regime’s broader struggle to fulfill its promises of nationwide medical reform. Whether Russian assistance will significantly improve the country’s healthcare system remains uncertain, but for now, Pyongyang appears to be relying on Moscow to help bridge its medical shortcomings.