North Korea country report

Executive summary

“There can be few places in the world where the human rights situation is more egregious and yet more overlooked than North Korea.” – Professor William Schabas and Sir Geoffrey Nice, QC

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), otherwise known as North Korea, has undoubtedly one of the worst human rights records in the world. North Korea is regarded as the world’s most closed nation, ruled by a dictatorship that is both dynastic and deified. Violations of human rights, including public executions, widespread and systematic torture, forced labour, sexual violence, deprivation of food, incarceration of an estimated 200,000 people in prison camps known as kwan-li-so, and denial of freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, among other severe human rights violations, may amount to crimes against humanity, according to international experts.

In addition to its total denial of respect for a wide range of other human rights, freedom of religion or belief in North Korea is non-existent, and the country is cited as one of the worst in the world for the persecution of Christians. With the exception of four official state-controlled churches in Pyongyang, Christians face the risk of detention in the prison camps, severe torture and, in some cases, execution for practising their religious beliefs. North Koreans suspected of having contact with South Korean or other foreign missionaries in China, and those caught in possession of a Bible, have been known to be executed.

Following the death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011, the leadership of the country was inherited by his son Kim Jong Un. The transition period was marked by a significant crackdown on North Korea’s borders in an attempt to prevent defections. Kim Jong Un, the new leader, expressed his intention to “annihilate” up to three generations of the families of anyone who tried to leave North Korea during the 100-day mourning period. In March 2012, at least 41 North Korean refugees were forcibly repatriated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the DPRK where there are fears they may well face long prison terms, severe torture and possible execution in line with the December decree by Kim Jong Un. In May 2013, nine North Korean refugees, all aged between 15 and 23 years old, were forcibly repatriated by Laos.3 Earlier in May, an American Christian, Kenneth Bae, was sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour, accused of committing “hostile acts” against North Korea.4 In July, Kenneth Bae issued an appeal for help from within prison. In June, the North Korean regime threatened to kill human rights activists who were launching balloons with supplies and information from South Korea into the DPRK.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) believes the situation in North Korea is so severe that it requires a multi-track approach involving the full and committed engagement of international bodies led by the UN, along with regional bodies such as the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and national governments, utilising every tool available to address the grave violations of human rights in the country. CSW therefore advocates a combination of international pressure; measures to promote accountability and an end to impunity; initiatives to break the regime’s information blockade and encourage a flow of information into the country, through radio broadcasts and educational and cultural exchanges; and an increased effort to pursue critical engagement with the regime, placing human rights concerns on the agenda alongside security issues. In 2010, CSW accompanied the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on North Korea, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Cox of Queensbury, to North Korea to engage with senior leaders in the regime on human rights. In 2011, the Speaker of the Supreme People’s Assembly in the DPRK, Choe Tae Bok, visited London at the invitation of Lord Alton and the APPG. CSW helped to brief parliamentarians in preparation for his visit. Since then, the APPG has held a number of public meetings assisted by CSW, and Lord Alton and Baroness Cox have held several meetings with the DPRK Ambassador in London.

CSW believes that there is a prima facie case of crimes against humanity committed by the DPRK regime. CSW’s report, North Korea: A Case to Answer, A Call to Act,7 written in association with REDRESS and published in 2007, presents a legal analysis and recommends that the UN establish a commission of inquiry to investigate these crimes against humanity – namely murder, extermination, enslavement/forced labour, forcible transfer of population, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, persecution, enforced disappearances of persons, other inhumane acts, and rape and sexual violence. The strict hierarchical nature of the regime in the DPRK, and information available about decision-making in the government, suggests that the senior political leadership, including the new leader Kim Jong Un, has responsibility for perpetrating such crimes. In September 2011 CSW helped establish the International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK),8 drawing together over 40 human rights organisations from around the world including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), specifically to campaign for the establishment of a UN commission of inquiry.9 In 2012 the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK, Marzuki Darusman, called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry, and in January 2013 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, added her voice to calls for such an inquiry.10 The Governments of Japan, Australia, the European Union and the United States subsequently added their support, and in March 2013 the UN Human Rights Council voted by consensus to establish an inquiry. The inquiry will report to the Human Rights Council on its findings in March 2014.

The gravity of the human rights situation in North Korea has for too long been overlooked by the international community.12 The time to place North Korea’s human rights crisis on the international agenda, and to utilise every opportunity to address the issues, through pressure and critical engagement, is long overdue, and the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry is a very welcome step in this direction.

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