Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Education Veniamin Kaganov said testing centers could be opened for North Koreans seeking to work in Russia.
Non-Russians seeking to come to Russia and work have to pass a mandatory test which includes knowledge of Russian language and history before they can receive work permits.
Kaganov told a meeting of the government's Russian-language council on April 9 the issue of allowing North Korean citizens to take the test and work in Russia had already been raised by Russia's Federal Migration Service.
"We are ready to extend this program beyond Russia, in particular to North Korea," Kaganov said.
Some North Korean laborers have been working as lumberjacks in Russia's Far East but they are confined to camps overseen by North Korean security guards.