The threat to public media has grown. Act now with a donation to sustain our work!

DONATE NOW
Doc World show's poster

WHY SLAVERY? North Korea's Secret Slaves: Dollar Heroes

Unlock untold stories with DOC WORLD, your weekly passport to award-winning international documentaries. Powerful, unfiltered storytelling sparks conversation, broadens horizons and deepens understanding. From cultural touchstones to urgent global challenges, DOC WORLD reveals our shared human experience.

WHY SLAVERY? North Korea's Secret Slaves: Dollar Heroes

Doc World | Season 4 Episode 12 Preview | 1m 18s | CC

With the promise of payment and honor, thousands of North Koreans are sent abroad, only to find themselves under constant surveillance and working in harsh conditions - with wages transferred to the government. The film shows how the country and globalization have made a pact: underpaid workers toil for the dictator's nuclear program while the United Nations and the European Union look away.

Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation.