The US State Department categorised North Korea as one of the "worst human trafficking nation" for the 16th straight year, citing the use of forced labour. According to the annual 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, North Korea has been included in the Tier 3 category, which is the lowest ranking, along with China, Russia and Iran.

"It used proceeds from state-sponsored forced labour to fund government functions as well as other illicit activity," the report said. "North Korean government continued to use forced labour in prison camps and labour training centres", adding that it "encouraged forced labours of students and exported forced labour to foreign organisations," it added. The US State Department's report comes as Pyongyang and Washington are negotiating North Korea's dismantling of its nuclear weapon programme.