North Korean nuke scientists are ‘slaves’ of regime’s weapons programs: Report | NK News
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October 02, 2026Oct 02, 2026

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North Korean nuke scientists are ‘slaves’ of regime’s weapons programs: Report

Study finds scientists and engineers face unsafe conditions that violate human rights and are not just privileged elite

North Korean scientists and engineers working on developing weapons of mass destruction should be considered victims of human rights violations, not just beneficiaries of the regime’s nuclear ambitions, according to a new report.

Titled “Slaves of the Bomb,” the report by the Washington-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) focuses on how North Korea violates the rights of its nuclear scientists, a demographic generally believed to hold a privileged status in the DPRK.

But DPRK nuclear scientists face a range of human rights violations, including forced labor, unsafe working conditions and strict surveillance, according to the reportpublished