[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Thomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights, who visited Korea, is scheduled on the 17th to meet with Lee Rae-jin, the brother of a public official killed by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea in September 2020, and Hwang In-cheol, the son of a passenger who was on board the Korean Air (KAL) aircraft abducted by North Korea in 1969.
According to diplomatic sources on the 17th, Lee and Hwang are scheduled to meet with Rapporteur Quintana at the Seoul UN Human Rights Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon, where they plan to request a strong protest from the UN to both the South Korean government and North Korea regarding the incidents, including a joint investigation between the two Koreas.
Hwang plans to appeal for the repatriation of his abducted father and also request that Quintana’s successor cooperate in resolving this issue.
Rapporteur Quintana is also scheduled to hold a meeting with members of the National Assembly on the 18th at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, focusing on international cooperation to improve North Korean human rights issues, according to the office of Ha Tae-kyung of the People Power Party.
On the 19th, for the first time, the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights will visit the inter-Korean border area.
On that day, Quintana will visit the Workers’ Party office in Cheorwon, then proceed beyond the Civilian Control Line to the Border Peace School and the Peace Observatory to directly experience the military confrontation between the two Koreas and listen to local residents’ opinions regarding leaflets sent to North Korea.
While maintaining a critical view that the law banning the distribution of leaflets to North Korea excessively punishes political expression, Quintana has also shown an attitude that considers the need to protect residents in the border area and has expressed willingness to visit the border region.
He will stay until the 23rd to collect materials for a report on North Korean human rights to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council next month. Quintana, who began his term in August 2016, is making his seventh visit to Korea. He is scheduled to conclude his six-year term in August.
Earlier, on the 16th, Rapporteur Quintana met consecutively with vice ministers from the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the North Korean human rights situation.
Choi Young-jun, Vice Minister of Unification, met with Quintana and exchanged views on humanitarian issues such as the humanitarian situation inside North Korea and reunions of separated families.
Rapporteur Quintana then paid a courtesy visit to Choi Jong-moon, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss ways to cooperate with the international community to improve North Korean human rights and humanitarian conditions.
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