Why North Korean Human Rights Concern International Community: 3 Key Reasons It Matters – Part 1

It feels like the first day of 2024 has just begun, but the cold winter is already behind us, and we can feel the warmth of spring. Looking back, last year might have been a spring season for the issue of human rights in North Korea. Our government published a report on human rights in North Korea for the first time, and internationally, COI marked the 10th anniversary of its establishment. Moreover, various events were held domestically to promote human rights improvement in North Korea!

At a time when the issue of human rights in North Korea is being treated with great importance in the unification issue, are you aware that not only our country but also the international community is showing a lot of interest in the human rights situation in North Korea? You may have heard at least once that the human rights of North Korean people are in a very miserable state worldwide. However, there are special reasons for the international community pay special attention.

Today’s article will try to find out why through the book Testimony from the Frontline—Human Rights in North Korea Seen from the Diplomatic Field by Professor Kim Soo Kwon of Dongseo University, who serves as a policy advisory committee member of the Ministry of Unification.

Reasons why the international community needs to pay attention to the issue of human rights in North Korea

The issue of human rights in North Korea is a human rights issue that North Korean people are experiencing. Even though the most direct victims of this issue are North Korean residents, there are three main reasons why the international community is very interested in it.

Firstly, there is the moral dimension. From the perspective of conscience and morality, not being interested in this issue is a violation of the duty of a human being when North Korean residents are suffering from unimaginable human rights abuses by the North Korean regime. Even if we look at the reality of North Korea from the perspective of fundamental rights, North Korean residents are in a situation where they cannot correctly solve even the necessities of life, let alone medical care, education, culture, labor environment, and politics. They are not being respected for even the things they should naturally enjoy as human beings.

To Read Part 2…
To Read Part 3…