North Korea is a one-party state led by a dynastic totalitarian dictatorship that regularly engages in grave human rights abuses. Surveillance is pervasive, arbitrary arrests and detention are common, and punishments for political offenses are severe. The state runs all media outlets, and freedom of assembly is not recognized. The state maintains a system of camps for political prisoners where torture, forced labor, starvation, and other atrocities take place.

• North Korean state media confirmed in October that the constitution had been amended to define South Korea as a “hostile state.” The announcement followed remarks in January by Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader, in which he said unification was no longer possible and called on the rubber-stamp legislature to enact constitutional changes reflecting that South Korea was the country’s “primary foe.”
• Symbols representing unification were systematically removed from North Korea’s propaganda websites after Kim’s remarks, and throughout the year reunification monuments and road and rail infrastructure linking the two countries were demolished.
• Parliamentary elections expected in the spring did not take place. Some analysts suggested that Kim sought to secure constitutional changes before staging the polls.
• As North Korea’s smartphone market continued expanding, research from the US-based Stimson Center, a research group, indicated that the state was engaging in more extensive monitoring of its citizens, supported by digital technology. (Ordinary smartphone users can connect to a state-run intranet but not the global internet.)

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.