In a groundbreaking move, South Korea has released a comprehensive report on the widespread and systematic use of forced labor by North Korea. The report, based on interviews with over 600 defectors and experts, reveals the shocking extent and severity of human rights violations committed by the Kim regime.

According to the report, North Korea operates a network of prison camps, factories, mines, farms and construction sites where millions of people are subjected to slave-like conditions. The workers are deprived of basic rights such as food, water, health care, education and freedom of movement. They are forced to work long hours without adequate rest or compensation, often under harsh and dangerous environments. They are also subjected to brutal punishments, torture and executions for minor infractions or attempted escapes.

The report estimates that about 10% of North Korea’s population, or 2.6 million people, are involved in some form of forced labor. The majority of them are political prisoners who are sent to the notorious kwanliso camps, where they face a life of hard labor and constant surveillance. The report also exposes the hidden practice of sending workers abroad to earn foreign currency for the regime. These workers are dispatched to countries such as China, Russia, Mongolia and the Middle East, where they work in factories, construction sites, restaurants and other sectors. They are tightly controlled by North Korean agents and local employers, who confiscate their passports and wages. They are also subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and have little or no contact with their families back home.

The report aims to raise awareness and pressure on the international community to take action against North Korea’s human rights abuses. It also calls for the protection and support of the defectors who risked their lives to escape and expose the truth. The report is a landmark achievement for South Korea, which has been criticized for its lack of engagement on human rights issues with its northern neighbor. By documenting and publicizing the atrocities committed by North Korea, South Korea hopes to foster a dialogue and cooperation with other countries and organizations to address the humanitarian crisis in the Korean peninsula.