During the Covid-19 pandemic, digital communications became more essential worldwide than ever for maintaining social distance. This necessity prompted North Korea to intensify its digital surveillance and monitoring efforts. Pyongyang implemented the Antireactionary Thought Law to prohibit “the creation, distribution, and consumption of any content aimed at breaking down our system.” Capitalizing on the pandemic, North Korea also heightened its efforts to crack down on phone calls on Chinese mobile telecom networks in the border area. This crackdown resulted in a significant decrease in the flow of information to and from North Korea, as well as a reduction in the amount of money transferred from North Korean defectors to their families remaining in North Korea.

 

The GW Institute for Korean Studies and East Asian National Resource Center cordially invite you to join us for an insightful event. The program will feature a keynote speech by Ambassador Julie Turner, Special Envoy on North Korea Human Rights Issues. The discussion will delve into topics such as North Korea‘s Anti-Reactionary Thought Law, digital surveillance and monitoring, cell phone usage, and information inflow during the pandemic.