Since 2020, North Koreans at home and abroad have experienced unprecedented isolation, control, and surveillance. As the country launches an ambitious new five-year plan to modernize the economy, the government is doubling down on control of the people. On March 18, three groups will present their latest research and insights into North Korean repression.
38 North will present its latest research into the state’s use of new technology tools to control and surveil its people. The Seoul-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) will discuss research findings on North Korea’s growing extraterritorial control mechanisms, including forced repatriation practices, overseas labor systems, and expanding coordination with authoritarian partners. Unification Media Group, also from Seoul, will offer unique insights into life on-the-ground inside the country through its citizen reporter network.
The discussion will explore how internal control and external repression reinforce one another, and what this means for accountability, protection, and policy responses moving forward.
Featured Speakers
Martyn Williams, Senior Fellow, Stimson Center and 38 North
Martyn Williams is a Senior Fellow with the Stimson Center, where he works primarily with the 38 North project. His primary interests are in North Korea’s technology, infrastructure, broadcasting system and propaganda. He launched the North Korea Tech website in 2010 and has closely followed the country’s steps onto the global Internet.
Hanna Song, Executive Director, Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB)
Hanna Song is executive director of NKDB and has been with the organization since 2015. She is one of the most respected voices on North Korean human rights. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from University College Utrecht in the Netherlands and a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.
Rose Adams, Communications Manager, Unification Media Group (UMG)
Rose Adams is a Communications Manager at UMG where she specializes in North Korean media, marketization, and women’s rights. UMG reports closely on North Korean issues and operates a network of citizen reporters inside the country.
Jenny Town, Senior Fellow and Director, 38 North Program, Stimson Center (Moderator)