North Korea Tightens Grip with Surveillance and Executions

The North Korean government has escalated its repression within the isolated, nuclear-armed nation. A recent United Nations report highlights the expansion of electronic surveillance and the public execution of individuals for sharing foreign media. The report emphasizes the extreme restrictions placed on the North Korean population, unlike any other in the world today.

The 16-page report, released by the U.N. Human Rights Office, assessed the human rights situation in North Korea since 2014. It paints a grim picture of a totalitarian state under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, effectively isolating its population of approximately 26 million from the rest of the world. The report notes a wider application of the death penalty, both legally and in practice. The findings are based on interviews with 314 victims and witnesses who have left the country since 2014.

Surveillance of the population has become increasingly pervasive, aided by technological advancements. In this communist state, all media is controlled by the government, and independent civil society organizations are nonexistent. The report also details mandatory weekly self-criticism sessions, primarily designed for collective surveillance and indoctrination.

Freedom of expression and access to information have significantly diminished. Severe new punishments, including the death penalty, are being implemented for various acts, such as sharing foreign media, including popular South Korean dramas. Crackdowns on access to foreign information are believed to have intensified, particularly since 2020, with the government holding public trials and executions to instill fear and deter dissent.

A government task force has increased inspections of computers, radios, and televisions, along with house searches conducted without prior notice or warrants. These actions are justified by the need to curb "anti-socialist" behavior and protect national security. One escapee described the tightened surveillance as an attempt "to block the people’s eyes and ears," a form of control aimed at eliminating any signs of dissatisfaction.

The public has extremely limited access to the internet. The government operates a tightly controlled national intranet, primarily used by research institutions and government officials. New laws criminalize access to unauthorized foreign information and prohibit the consumption or dissemination of information from "hostile" nations, including publications, music, and movies. These laws also restrict the use of linguistic expressions that do not conform to prescribed socialist ideology and culture. The report raises serious concerns about these restrictions on the right to free expression, despite reports suggesting that North Koreans continue to consume prohibited information despite the risks.