“Wearing unusual clothing is an act of submission to the enemy”
One of the hard-to-imagine aspects of life for young people in North Korea is the inherent danger in any attempt to follow fashions that are...
Ministry of Social Security investigating people over inflation and Russian war complaints
North Korea’s Ministry of Social Security has instructed agencies nationwide to monitor the movements of citizens for expressions of dissatisfaction over the dispatch of troops...
Ministry of State Security and Defense Security Bureau crackdown leads to rise in remittance fees, up to 50%
The fees paid by people sending money to their families in North Korea have gone up 10 percent in the last month and now stand...
Two North Korean women arrested at Dalian Airport, activists call for urgent response from international community
A mother and daughter who defected from North Korea have been arrested by Chinese authorities Gyeoreol Unification Federation calls for diplomatic action and international intervention...
North Koreans argue as to whether dying for the fatherland is the “duty of the military” amid news of soldiers killed in Ukraine war
North Korean residents justify the sacrifice of soldiers deployed to Russia, saying dying for the fatherland is their duty. In some areas of North Korea's...
North Hamgyong parents receive death notices of sons killed in the military… From 8th Corps and 91st Defense Command
Parents in North Korea's North Hamgyong Province are being notified of the deaths of their sons in the military, according to reports. A report in...
Captured soldiers are considered traitors by North Korea
In North Korea today, the youngsters of what is known as the MZ generation hold values that differ from those of older generations. The main...
“Singing while eating at a restaurant is an expression of puppet culture”
A recent government video from North Korea gives an idea of how something that would be seen as enjoyable and harmless in any other country...
Exclusive: Documents and personal items found on the body of a North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast region (1)
HRF’s Korea Desk has been in regular communication with members of the Ukrainian special forces operating in the Kursk Oblast region since December 20. We...
Exclusive: Documents found on the body of a North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast region (2)
HRF’s Korea Desk has been in regular communication with members of the Ukrainian special forces operating in the Kursk Oblast region since December 20. We...
HRF’s Flash Drives for Freedom May Be Reaching Deep Inside North Korea via Balloon-Borne Packages: Kim Yo-Jong Confirms
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, inadvertently revealed some crucial details about the balloons carrying information packages sent to North...
HRF hosts inaugural NK Insider Forum in Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, Korea — On Dec. 19, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) hosted the inaugural NK Insider Forum, a unique conference addressing critical issues related to North Korean human rights. The theme of this year’s forum, “Cracks in the Regime: The Exodus of North Korea’s Elite and Global Responses,” highlighted the defection of North Korea’s elite and the international community’s role in responding to the ongoing crisis.
Civil defense youth submit petitions for deployment to Russia
The news that soldiers are being deployed to Russia has spread across North Korea, prompting a wave of petitions from military-age people in the civil...
Japan-South Korea relations: the long road ahead
South Korea and Japan are two regional powerhouse countries in global affairs today. Located nearly 1,000 kilometers away from each other, the two democracies face...
Who are the leader’s “good people”?
Throughout history, rulers have often complained about their subjects. That’s hardly surprising. Rulers fear the masses. They seem to them like a ticking time bomb,...
How should we interpret China’s occasional release of detained North Korean refugees?
While China formally stands by its obligation to North Korea to repatriate escapees, many defectors arrive in South Korea after having been detained by Chinese...
Defectors step up to support soldiers deployed to Russia to escape
While news reports confirming that North Korea has dispatched special forces to fight for the Russians in their war against Ukraine have raised international concern,...
Why fight for Russia? Deaths of North Korean officers in Ukraine raises questions about morale
The deaths of six North Korean military officers in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine, in a Ukrainian missile strike that wounded 20 other soldiers, highlighted...