A Seoul-based human rights organization has accused North Korea of operating a clandestine detention facility inside its embassy in Beijing, according to a report released this week. The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) alleges the site is used to interrogate North Koreans suspected of attempting to defect before they are forcibly sent back to the DPRK.

The report states that North Korean officials track down workers in China who are suspected of planning to flee. These individuals are then detained in the embassy’s basement, where they face interrogation and are held until they can be repatriated to North Korea, a process the group describes as a violation of international law.

Such forced repatriations expose individuals to severe risks, including potential imprisonment, torture, or execution upon their return to North Korea. The allegations implicate China, as the host country, in allowing such activities to occur on its sovereign territory.

The TJWG’s findings underscore the extreme measures the North Korean state employs to control its citizens abroad and prevent defections. The report calls for greater international scrutiny of North Korea’s overseas operations and China’s compliance with its obligations under refugee conventions.