Published on: 2026-10-27
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 27, 2026 Human Rights
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is today more isolated from the outside world than ever before. Meanwhile, noticeable changes are occurring inside the country: factories and hospitals are being built in the regions, and smartphones and mobile banking have become part of everyday life. This was told to the UN News Service in an interview by James Heenan, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) office in Seoul.
He reminded that living conditions in North Korea largely depend on a person’s social status — the so-called songbun, which divides the population into “loyal,” “wavering,” and “hostile” groups — as well as on whether they live in Pyongyang or in rural areas.
Surveillance, Hinan emphasized, concerns everyone and begins from an early age – at home, at school, and at work. “There is a risk that government task forces may come to the house at any time of day or night to check electronic devices for prohibited information. Therefore, people live in constant fear,” he said.
Forced labor
Schoolchildren, especially during harvest time, are sent to work in the fields. Authorities call this part of education; however, according to the OHCHR, this is forced child labor. Adults are mobilized into so-called “shock brigades” – to repair roads for free, cut down forests, or work in coal mines, sometimes for months and even years. “This is classic forced labor, and it affects the entire country,” said Hinan.
OHCHR James Hynan presents a report from the United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul.
According to him, for a long time men were forced to work in government jobs without receiving a salary.
“The woman had more opportunities to earn income: she went to the informal market to make money while simultaneously being responsible for raising children, cooking, and all other household chores,” explained a UN representative.
Currently, some salaries are being paid, and informal markets are strictly limited. As a result, women’s economic opportunities have decreased.
Rice as a luxury
The food problem remains acute. “Every person we spoke to, at some point, talked about hunger,” Hinan emphasized. Even former high-ranking officials admitted that they ate monotonously. Some of those who fled to China realized for the first time how different life is abroad when they saw that everyone there eats white rice – in the DPRK, this is a luxury.
According to Hinan, during the COVID-19 pandemic there have been cases of death from hunger in the country—though not on the scale seen in the 1990s. Crop yields in recent years have been decent, but due to geography, climate change, and an unreformed system of food production and distribution, a significant portion of the population suffers from malnutrition.
WFP/John Belgrave Recent harvests have been decent, but a significant portion of the population in the DPRK suffers from malnutrition. (photo from archive)
The volume of international aid remains modest. The sanctions committee has approved dozens of exemptions for humanitarian programs, but this is not enough, Hinan noted. He cited the vaccination of children supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as a successful example.
Factories, hospitals, and smartphones
The DPRK authorities are focusing on regional development. As part of the “20 in 10” program, factories are built annually over ten years in 20 counties across the country. Medical centers are being constructed throughout the country. According to available data, jobs are created where wages are actually paid. At the same time, the OHCHR fears that forced labor is used at major construction sites, and access to services may depend on “songbun.”
Communication is also developing rapidly: thousands of 3G towers operate in the country, and more than 20 smartphone models are sold. People use mobile banking, farmers receive weather forecasts, and young people play games. However, all this exists on an internal network without internet access and makes surveillance more effective. “Technology is a double-edged sword,” noted Hinan.
Separated families
The main problem today, according to the UNHCR representative, is isolation and restricted freedom of movement. Previously, people could at least illegally go to work in China and return – now that is impossible. Travel within the country is also limited, whether to visit relatives or in search of work.
The problem of families separated between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, as well as Japan, also persists. Family reunions were held until 2018, and the UN is striving for their resumption.
Hynan urged not to forget about the DPRK: “People sometimes think that the situation there does not change, but this is not the case.” According to him, when talking about the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to remember not only the issues of peace and security but also human rights.
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