Holding a Press Conference in Front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sending a Letter
North Korean human rights organizations are urging the government to make diplomatic efforts to protect North Korean defectors in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 18th. (Photo by Jeon Hwan-gi, Justice Working Group)
North Korean human rights organizations urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 18th to request the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to adopt protection guidelines for North Korean defectors. They also demanded that, at the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Vietnam scheduled for the 7th of next month, pre-submitted written questions be raised regarding the protection of North Korean defectors and South Korean prisoners of war from the Vietnam War.
On the morning of the same day, North Korean human rights groups including the Families of South Korean Prisoners of War Association, the nonprofit organization Mulmangcho, and the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) held a press conference in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul, stating, "The UNHCR has recently not been actively voicing concerns about the issue of North Korean defectors."
In a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol, they said, "President Yoon Suk-yeol urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen international cooperation for the protection of North Korean defectors at the Cabinet meeting on January 16, and officials including Minister Cho Tae-yeol have emphasized this. However, unlike in the past, it is difficult to find recent cases where government officials have discussed the protection of North Korean defectors with the UNHCR."
They continued, "South Korea is both an executive board member country of the UNHCR and a '20 million dollar donor country' whose government and private contributions surpass those of China," adding, "We must demand that the UNHCR adopt protection guidelines for North Korean defectors similar to those for refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine."
While the UNHCR has issued country-specific refugee guidelines for Afghanistan, Ukraine, and others, it has never issued guidelines for North Korean defectors since the mass defection crisis in the 1990s.
They stated, "Now, with concerns about forced repatriation of North Korean defectors not only from China but also from Russia, the government needs to demand that the UNHCR take measures such as adopting protection guidelines for North Korean defectors through bilateral dialogues and the UNHCR Executive Board."
The North Korean human rights organizations emphasized that this issue should be publicized at the upcoming UNHCR NGO Global Consultations to be held in Geneva in June, and that North Korean human rights groups should be invited to participate, urging discussions with the UNHCR Seoul office.
They also requested that at the 4th UPR of Vietnam held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on the 7th of next month, pre-submitted written questions be raised regarding the status of refugees including North Korean defectors, related legislation, and compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, and that recommendations be made to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement, allow resettlement in third countries, and ratify the UN Refugee Convention and its Protocol.
The press conference was also attended by Kim Gyuri and Kim Hyuk, the elder sister and cousin of Kim Cheol-ok, who was repatriated from China to North Korea on October 9 last year.
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