The United Nations has issued a stark warning about a deeply entrenched system of forced labor in North Korea, which in some cases could constitute the crime against humanity of enslavement. A damning report published by the UN rights office paints a harrowing picture of widespread exploitation and control within the reclusive and authoritarian nation.
The report, based on interviews with 183 North Korean defectors living abroad, reveals a multi-layered system of forced labor that strips individuals of their basic rights and dignity. “The testimonies in this report give a shocking and distressing insight into the suffering inflicted through forced labor upon people,” stated UN rights chief Volker Turk. He described the conditions as intolerable, characterized by dangerous work environments, the absence of pay, and a complete lack of freedom to leave or seek protection. Workers are regularly subjected to beatings, and women face constant risks of sexual violence.
The report delves into six distinct types of forced labor, including the mandatory 10-year military conscription, compulsory state-assigned jobs, and the notorious “Shock Brigades.” These brigades, organized by the state, force citizens to undertake arduous manual labor, primarily in construction and agriculture. Workers are often confined to work sites for months or even years, living in squalor with little or no compensation.
The report also highlights the use of child labor and the forced deployment of individuals abroad to generate foreign currency for the state. North Koreans have reportedly been sent to work on infrastructure projects related to the FIFA World Cup in Russia and Qatar. These workers are exploited, losing up to 90 percent of their wages to the state, living under constant surveillance, and having their passports confiscated, with almost no opportunity for respite.
The UN rights office emphasizes that the forced labor system serves as a means for the state to exert control, monitor, and indoctrinate the population. The report contends that the level of control and exploitation in some instances could reach the threshold of “ownership,” potentially constituting the crime against humanity of enslavement. The most severe concerns are centered on detention facilities, where forced laborers are systematically subjected to inhumane conditions and threats of physical violence.
The report calls for North Korea to immediately end forced labor in all its forms, eradicate slavery and slavery-like practices, and abolish the use of child labor. It urges the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court for further investigation and potential prosecution.
