Russia, Moscow: North Korea has intensified its surveillance and punishment of workers in Russia, responding to the growing threat posed by access to unauthorized information. Recently, several North Korean workers have been forcibly repatriated for viewing videos about defectors or life abroad on their smartphones. Pyongyang considers even minimal exposure to such content a serious threat, as it believes it could inspire laborers to defect.

In July, a worker in Volgograd and another in Nizhny Novgorod were detained for secretly watching videos about North Korean defectors. North Korean authorities have recently issued a directive to tighten control over internet usage and foreign media, specifically targeting content related to defectors and North Korean workers abroad. This includes heavier punishments for those caught viewing such content, reflecting the regime’s growing paranoia about the influence of outside information.

The regime has also increased its monitoring efforts, deploying technicians to examine the digital activity of workers and planting informers to report on any foreign media consumption. These measures are part of a broader strategy to block connections between North Korean workers and the outside world, ensuring that the regime’s control remains unchallenged.