The report, released on 12 September, is based on more than 300 interviews with defectors and escapees. It paints a stark picture of life under one of the world's most secretive regimes, where surveillance has expanded, punishments have grown harsher, and ordinary citizens live under constant fear.
According to the UN findings, sharing foreign media, particularly South Korean dramas, can now result in the death penalty under laws introduced in recent years.
James Heenan, head of the UN Human Rights Office for North Korea, told reporters in Geneva: 'Executions have taken place under these new laws, including for distributing foreign TV shows.'
The report adds that executions have increased for both ordinary crimes and so-called political crimes, marking a wider effort by the regime to block outside influence and reinforce ideological control.
The study describes a state where technology has extended government surveillance into nearly every aspect of daily life. Citizens are monitored 'in all parts of life,' the report states, with those suspected of defiance often facing severe punishment.
Testimonies also reveal that children from poor families are being forced into hazardous labour. Many are recruited into 'shock brigades' and sent to work in coal mines and construction sites. Families unable to pay bribes face harsher treatment, highlighting the inequality within the system.
The UN report stresses that North Korea remains one of the most repressive states in the world. It documents widespread violations, including public executions, torture, sexual violence, deliberate starvation, and mass imprisonment. Between 80,000 and 120,000 people are estimated to be held in political prison camps.
Although investigators noted minor improvements such as reduced violence by guards in detention and some reforms aimed at strengthening fair trial guarantees they concluded that overall repression has intensified since around 2014.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that without change, 'the people of the DPRK will continue to live in fear and suffer increasing brutality.'
Rania Umutoni
