On June 22nd, 2023, Radio Free Asia published an article about facial recognition technology in China and its detrimental impact on North Korean escapees. Technology has made escaping more challenging and exposed escapees to more significant risks in their journey to freedom. The article quoted the testimony of Hanna Song, NKDB's Director of International Cooperation, before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

The technology is spreading fear among escapees in China, Hanna Song, director of international cooperation at the South Korea-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, told the same hearing.

“China’s increasing use of emerging technology is being used as a tool of repression that affects the most vulnerable groups including North Korean refugees,” she said. “Many North Koreans spoke about how the advanced surveillance capabilities, such as facial recognition and biometric systems, are used to monitor and track the movements of those in China.”

You can read the full article on Radio Free Asia website by clicking HERE.