S. Korea publishes hard copies of English report on NK's human rights

Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the unification ministry, speaks at a press conference at the government complex in Seoul, June 14. Yonhap

South Korea's unification ministry said Friday it has published hard copy prints of an English version of its report on North Korea's human rights situation as part of efforts to raise global awareness on the issue.

The publication is a printed version of the government's annual report on North Korea's human rights violations, which was first made public in late March in line with President Yoon Suk Yeol's hard-line policy toward the North.

Based on the testimonies of more than 500 North Korean defectors, the report highlights widespread abuses by state authorities, including murder, torture and public execution.

The report said North Koreans' right to life appears to be "seriously" threatened due to North Korean authorities' "arbitrary" use of power for human rights violations.

"The Ministry of Unification sincerely hopes that the publication of the English version of the 2023 report on their human rights will spread the understanding of promoting human rights situation in North Korea," ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said in a rare press briefing held with English interpretation.

The ministry said it plans to distribute some 1,500 copies of the report to major institutions in and out of the country, including overseas diplomatic missions, foreign embassies in Seoul, international organizations and advocacy groups.

The ministry has been compiling the annual report since 2018 under the North Korean Human Rights Act, but the findings had not been made public in the past, apparently to avoid provoking Pyongyang. (Yonhap)

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