Families of South Koreans Detained in North Korea appeal to U.N. Special Rapporteur For Repatriation

Families of South Koreans Detained in North Korea appeal to U.N. Special Rapporteur For Repatriation

02-02-2023

Jasmine Velasquez

East Asia and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

On the 2nd of February, the families of South Korean detainees in North Korea met Elizabeth Salmon, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, to appeal for UN-level efforts to repatriate the detainees (Ji, 2023). Kim Jeong-sam, the older brother of Missionary Kim Jeong-wook, who was arrested in North Korea in 2013, met with the Special Rapporteur Salmon and delivered a letter appealing for UN cooperation (Ji, 2023). Mr. Kim appealed that he, still to this day, does not know whether his brother was alive or dead, and has hoped that he would be released and repatriated this year, on the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement (Ji, 2023). Currently, six South Koreans, including three pastors, are being detained in North Korea on charges of committing what Pyongyang called anti-North Korea crimes (Yi, 2023).

In response, Special Rapporteur Salmon has stated that she does not know if the results will appear soon, but that she will do her best (Yi, 2023).

Enforced disappearance is protected under international human rights law under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. However, North Korea has not signed nor ratified this convention (Ratification Status By Country).  This does not excuse North Korea for its human rights abuses, however. North Korea should be urged to ratify the convention and protect these international human rights norms.

Sources and further reading:

Ji S, “북한 억류자 가족, 유엔 특별보고관에 '송환' 호소” (Yonhap News, February 2, 2023) <https://www.yonhapnewstv.co.kr/news/MYH20230202017000641?input=1825m> accessed February 2, 2023. 

Yi J, “Families of S. Koreans detained in N. Korea urge U.N. efforts for repatriation” (Yonhap News, February 2, 2023) <https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230202005700325?section=nk/nk> accessed February 2, 2023. 

“Ratification Status by Country” (United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body Database) <https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=141&amp;Lang=EN> accessed February 2, 2023.