North Korean IT workers, forced to generate illegal revenue for the Kim Jong-un regime, face constant surveillance and immense pressure to meet harsh work quotas just to receive their pay, according to a new report released by the human rights organization Pscore.
The report, titled, "Investigating digital rights violations and North Korean IT workers' conditions in North Korea and Abroad," was presented on Wednesday at an event on North Korean human rights hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Seoul, the Korea Times reported. It highlights the plight of North Korean tech workers, who are often seen primarily as perpetrators of illicit activities, instead of victims of severe human rights abuses under the Kim regime.
"It is critical to recognize these IT workers as victims of North Korea's cyber agenda," the Pscore report emphasized. The findings were based on interviews conducted in 2024 with North Korean defectors who were previously employed as IT workers. Pscore, a Seoul-based nongovernmental organization advocating for human rights in North Korea, argues for shifting the focus from the illicit revenue these workers generate to their severe exploitation.
Jasmin Ringel, a researcher at Pscore, explained, "Due to their precarious working and living conditions, we believe that even the regime's highly skilled workers are deprived of various human rights."
The report was part of a project supported by the Embassy of Canada Fund for Human Rights in North Korea, which aims to promote human rights efforts within the country.
The report paints a bleak picture of the daily lives of North Korean IT workers, who typically work over 10 hours a day, often overnight, to serve international clients across different time zones, the Korea Herald reported.
This leads to sleep deprivation and irregular working hours. Workers live in cramped conditions, with five to six people sharing small living spaces. Movement is highly restricted, with workers allowed only one daily walk and an occasional outing once a week.
Kang Ju-won, a former North Korean IT worker who developed programs in Southeast Asia, described his routine: "We sleep a bit during the day, and since it's a system where we work during the nighttime, you do assignments through the internet at night and continue to develop (them) during the day."
The mental toll of such demanding work is severe, according to Kim Ji-min, another North Korean defector and IT expert. "The stress and pressure to perform at the workplace greatly affect the mental health of IT employees, predisposing them to depression and panic attacks," Kim explained. "His co-workers have taken their own lives due to these strenuous conditions. Such incidents illustrate how these difficult and intense conditions consume IT workers to an extreme extent."
The report also reveals that workers are required to meet strict monthly income quotas set by the North Korean government. Failure to meet these quotas results in public humiliation, severe psychological harassment, and, in some cases, physical abuse. "Some workers even face physical abuse as a means of coercion. Verbal threats and constant performance monitoring are common, creating a work environment where many workers experience psychological trauma," the report states.
Workers must remit 90 to 95 percent of their earnings to North Korean authorities, under the guise of patriotism. Former IT worker Na Jeong-seok shared, "I only received about 5 percent of the money I earned as an allowance. It was big back then, too. In North Korea, you have to do unpaid work."
Na also recounted the immense pressure he felt to meet his quotas, saying, "I couldn't sleep and kept working. I was very stressed because my assignment wasn't going well. Even if I can't secure the money for myself, there's a lot of pressure to fulfill the quota."
To secure employment with foreign businesses in China and Southeast Asia, IT workers must use false identities and endure round-the-clock surveillance.
