The OHCHR interviewed 314 witnesses who left North Korea and consulted with organizations and experts to assess human rights conditions there since 2014. The situation has worsened, increasing suffering, said Spokesperson Liz Throssell in Geneva. James Heenan, head of the office on North Korea, emphasized severe human rights violations, where minor offenses result in punishment.
Credible evidence shows individuals executed for distributing foreign information and media, not just watching K-dramas. New laws have increased surveillance and control, leading some citizens to forced labor camps as political prisoners.
In “shock brigades,” orphans and street children are reportedly used for hazardous work, like coal mining, under long hours. Schoolchildren also perform labor when they should be in school. Heenan stated this meets forced labor criteria as children have no choice.
Military personnel, prisoners, and disadvantaged families seeking social advancement undertake the dangerous labor of the brigades. Deaths are frequent, and North Korea glorifies them as sacrifices to the leader.
In 2014-2015, senior officials were executed for “anti-State acts.” Although this trend decreased, execution since 2020 has been used for unauthorized media distribution, drugs, economic crimes, and more. Since 2015, six new laws permit the death penalty for vaguely defined “anti-state” propaganda. Interviewees reported public executions aimed at instilling fear.
Escapees noted some improvements in detention facilities and the ratification of two human rights treaties, but North Korea remains distant from international law obligations. The country is highly isolated, complicating human rights monitoring and implementation.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk called the period a “lost decade,” warning of continued suffering, repression, and fear if North Korea maintains its current path.
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