A Russian lawmaker, who recently returned from a visit to North Korea, says Pyongyang hopes that Russia will allow North Korean workers to continue to stay there.  

According to Interfax news agency, Fedot Tumusov, who visited the North as part of a State Duma delegation, made the remark on Tuesday. 

He noted how North Korean workers are required to return to the North by the end of this year under UN Security Council resolutions, but stressed it would be a very challenging task. 

He said overseas workers are a means to resolve North Korea’s economic and social problems, adding North Korean officials he met expressed hope their workers will continue to be allowed to work in Russia.

Claiming North Korea has met many of the UN's demands, he accused the U.S. of being too harsh regarding economic cooperation between the North and other countries. 

Following the regime’s long-range missile launch in December of 2017, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2397 which requires all UN member states to repatriate North Koreans workers by the end of 2019.