North Korea workers face increasing surveillance and forced repatriation after consuming foreign content while working in Russia. As Pyongyang prepares to send more laborers abroad, authorities are tightening control to prevent ideological influence from outside sources.
North Korean authorities recently sent home at least three North Korea workers between late last year and July. They caught the individuals with portable storage devices containing South Korean dramas. In one case, agents in Vladivostok found a USB drive on a worker in his thirties and scheduled his repatriation.
This intensified scrutiny follows a corruption scandal involving a North Korean security agent in Russia. In response, Pyongyang revamped its surveillance systems and strengthened daily checks in dormitories and workplaces. Personal belongings now undergo evening inspections. Surprise searches also target lockers, luggage, and under beds.
Security agents monitor not just behavior but conversations and movements. They report findings directly to North Korea’s authorities. According to a source in Russia, the surveillance has become systemized and ordered rather than arbitrary.
Under these conditions, North Korean authorities forbid workers from using mobile phones or internet-connected devices. Management-level staff may request temporary access, but only with security agent approval. Communication with locals or foreigners is banned. Unauthorized interactions trigger investigations.
Dormitories now include CCTV systems, and workers must account for all movements. Some workers fear they might talk in their sleep, since authorities may monitor every word. This intense psychological pressure isolates workers and prevents trust from forming among them.
This system reflects Pyongyang’s strategy to suppress independent thinking. By cutting workers off from the outside world, the regime enforces loyalty through fear and control. According to a Daily NK source, the top priority is simple: not getting caught.
The International Labour Organization and U.N. human rights experts have criticized North Korea’s overseas labor practices. Yet the regime dismisses such concerns, framing restrictions as necessary to prevent “political threats.”
Dong-A University professor Kim Dong-wan explained that outside information threatens regime stability by changing worker mindsets. He urged the international community to find safe ways to increase contact with North Korea workers and expose these human rights violations.
