Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

On July 14^th, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the United Nations hosted a roundtable event with 10 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defectors (Event name: Roundtable Discussion with North Korean Young Leaders/Defectors), with more than 100 UN diplomats and journalists attending. In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Joonkook Hwang emphasized that DPRK human rights issues are particularly relevant to the ROK as a country directly involved in these issues, and that participants may deepen their understanding on DPRK human rights matters through the testimonies given by the North Korean young leaders/defectors. Amb. Hwang also stressed that with the 10^th anniversary of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report and the election of the ROK as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024, the ROK will redouble its efforts to ensure DPRK human rights are spotlighted as key issues at the Council.

The 10 young defector representatives participated in the event to provide the background of their escapes, status of DPRK human rights issues, as well as their prospects after defection, and called for the international community’s attention and action on DPRK human rights problems.