Human Rights Commissioner Song Doo-hwan: "Support System for North Korean Defectors' Settlement Needs Supplementation and Improvement"

Song Doo-hwan, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Regarding the incident on the 1st of this month where a North Korean defector crossed back to North Korea through the eastern front, Song Doo-hwan, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, expressed the position that the support system for the settlement of North Korean defectors should be improved and that factors leading to defection back to North Korea should be eliminated by fostering an inclusive social culture.

Chairman Song stated in a press release on the 12th, "I feel deeply saddened after seeing recent media reports and the measures taken by related agencies," conveying this stance.

He first pointed out, "The fact that about 30 North Korean defectors who risked their lives to leave North Korea and settle in our society have again risked their lives to defect back to North Korea from 2012 to 2020 shows that there are still many difficulties for North Korean defectors to successfully settle in our society."

According to the 'Survey on Trauma and Human Rights Violations of North Korean Defectors' conducted by the Human Rights Commission in 2017, 56% of the subjects were clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a representative mental health issue, and 25% were at high risk of suicide. Additionally, from 2016 to 2020, 1 out of 10 North Korean defectors who died committed suicide, which is more than twice the rate of the general population.

Chairman Song said, "For stable settlement, it seems urgent to supplement and improve the support system for North Korean defectors, including building a social safety net and overcoming social isolation through a sense of community belonging," adding, "The Commission will continue to maintain close attention and strengthen monitoring of the settlement support system and its operation for North Korean defectors, and will strive to create an inclusive society where North Korean defectors do not feel social isolation due to discrimination and prejudice but can live together as one."