New Frontiers for North Korean Surveillance and Repression

Since 2020, North Koreans at home and abroad have experienced unprecedented isolation, control, and surveillance. As the country launches an ambitious new five-year plan to modernize the economy, the government is doubling down on control of the people. On March 18, three groups will present their latest research and insights into North Korean repression.

38 North will present its latest research into the state’s use of new technology tools to control and surveil its people. The Seoul-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) will discuss research findings on North Korea’s growing extraterritorial control mechanisms, including forced repatriation practices, overseas labor systems, and expanding coordination with authoritarian partners. Unification Media Group, also from Seoul, will offer unique insights into life on-the-ground inside the country through its citizen reporter network.

The discussion will explore how internal control and external repression reinforce one another, and what this means for accountability, protection, and policy responses moving forward.