UN to Conduct 'North Korea Human Rights Review' This November
Organizations Meet Representatives from Various Countries to Raise Awareness
Painful Vacancy in Human Rights Ambassador Position... Candidate Review Still Underway
Two months ahead of the United Nations' schedule to review North Korea's human rights situation, civil society has launched efforts to 'raise awareness about the reality of North Korea.' Meanwhile, the position of 'Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights,' responsible for cooperating with the international community at the government level, has been vacant for two months, prompting calls to expedite the appointment of a successor.
Our North Korean human rights organizations participated in the 47th pre-session held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 28th of last month (local time). This meeting was arranged to hear civil society opinions ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council in November, where countries will assess North Korea's human rights situation.
Two Months Left Until North Korea's UPR... Civil Society Leading the Pressure
The Institute for North Korean Human Rights (INKHR) and others attended the 47th pre-session held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 28th of last month (local time). This event was organized to gather civil society opinions ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on North Korea scheduled for November. Photo by the Institute for North Korean Human Rights
The event was attended by ten organizations, including the Institute for North Korean Human Rights (INKHR), Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), People for Successful Unification (PSCORE), North Korea Database Center (NKDB), Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy (KOCUN), the Federation of Families for Reunification of Korea (RFNK), and Korea Future from the UK.
Lee Han-byul, director of INKHR, gave a presentation on social rights. She pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, border closures blocked international aid, disrupting the food distribution system. She highlighted that basic rights such as the right to food are not guaranteed for residents. She also emphasized that North Korea, as a UN member state, must ratify key international human rights treaties.
In particular, she urged the Kim Jong-un regime to "take measures to prevent human rights violations and protect residents' rights" by establishing an 'independent human rights institution.' Although somewhat unrealistic, Lee's remarks, as a defector and a human rights commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, were seen as a symbolic message. She is also a victim of enforced disappearance, as her brother was repatriated to North Korea and his whereabouts remain unknown.
The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) pointed out that the scope of crimes punishable by death in North Korea is broad, and that the Act on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture classifies the inflow of foreign culture as a 'serious crime.' Legal analyst Shin Hee-seok recommended, "The whereabouts and life status of missionaries Kim Jung-wook, Kim Guk-gi, and Choi Chun-gil, who are detained in North Korea, and Kim Cheol-ok, who was repatriated from China, must be clearly disclosed."
Earlier, North Korea, in a response sent to the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) in mid-last month, labeled the issues raised about detained missionaries as a 'political conspiracy.' At that time, with assistance from TJWG, the UN inquired about the detained missionaries and forcibly repatriated defectors, but Ambassador Pang Kwang-hyok, acting head of the North Korean mission in Geneva, denied it as "anti-North Korean human rights slander."
Civil Society Moves... North Korean Human Rights Ambassador Post Still Vacant
Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@
The UPR is a representative UN human rights protection mechanism. It regularly reviews the human rights situation of all member states and recommends that countries under review amend laws, systems, and policies. In January this year, China underwent a UPR, and for the first time, our government explicitly mentioned 'defectors,' recommending China adhere to the principle of non-refoulement.
UPR recommendations are not legally binding. Therefore, the clearer the recommendations made by countries conducting the 'human rights audit,' the greater the burden on the country under review. This is why diplomatic efforts, both governmental and civil, are crucial. After the pre-session, Director Lee Han-byul and others reportedly continued to explain North Korea's human rights realities and recommendations to representatives of various countries.
The government has also prepared for North Korea's UPR. The Ministry of Unification plans to urge North Korea to join the Convention Against Torture during the UPR review. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to use the UPR as an opportunity to engage with North Korea's human rights situation by holding briefings for civil society and academia.
However, it is painful that the position of Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for cooperating with the international community, has been vacant since July. The North Korean Human Rights Ambassador is an 'external title ambassador' appointed to a civilian expert with professionalism and recognition to conduct diplomatic activities. After Professor Lee Jung-hoon of Yonsei University served as the inaugural ambassador for one year starting in September 2016, the post remained vacant for five years. Following the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Professor Lee Shin-hwa of Korea University extended his term for one year and actively served for two years, but his term expired in July this year.
A Foreign Ministry official said regarding the appointment of the North Korean Human Rights Ambassador, "I understand that candidates are currently under review."
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