Combating Transnational Repression

For decades, North Korea has employed transnational repression tactics, including unexplained disappearance, rendition, unlawful deportation, passport and document controls, coercion by proxy and digital threats, beyond its borders across the globe. Such tactics have targeted defectors, workers and officials in more than 40 countries to prevent their defection or leaking of sensitive information. Those who aid them have also been vulnerable to the repression. Despite the large scale of these abuses, the scale, methods, and key perpetrators of DPRK transnational repression remain under-investigated and under-reported.

In collaboration with the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), Global Rights Compliance (GRC) is currently conducting an investigation to catalogue incidents of DPRK transnational repression, blending open-source intelligence (OSINT) with closed-source information revolving around insider testimonies. The investigation will feed into a comprehensive report detailing the scale, geographical scope, and tactics of DPRK’s transnational repression. It will also inform submissions to accountability mechanisms and closed-door engagement with diplomats, policymakers, and journalists worldwide. Alongside these advocacy efforts, we will provide tailored digital hygiene training and rapid-response support to at-risk individuals, strengthening both immediate protection and long-term resilience against DPRK repression.

Photo Credit: Roman Harak.