Press Release
Ministry of Unification publishes North
Korean Human Rights Report
-March 30, 2023-
□ The Ministry of Unification is publishing the 2023 North Korean
Human Rights Report to inform the public the overall human rights
situation in North Korea.
o The report is significant as it is the first report published by
the ROK Government in accordance with the North Korean Human Rights
Act, enacted through bipartisan cooperation in 2016.
o The report demonstrates the Government’s determination to make
further efforts to substantially improve North Korean human rights.
□ To reveal the recent reality of North Korean human rights, the
report was written based on the testimonies of North Korean defectors.
o The recent North Korean human rights situations that occurred from
2017 to 2022 were documented in a balanced and objective way, while
concentrating on actual cases adhering to human rights as stipulated
in the International Covenant.
o Centered on the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights(ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights(ICESCR), women, children, and persons with
disabilities are designated vulnerable groups. In addition, serious
human rights issues, including political prison camps, prisoners of
war, abductees, and separated families are also specifically described.
□ In order to ensure wide circulation of this report at home and
abroad as background data on human rights in North Korea, the
Unification Ministry will publish in English and distribute it both
online and offline.
□ Taking this opportunity, the Unification Ministry expects that
this report will expose the human rights situation in North Korea,
bolstering solidarity and cooperation among the Government, private
sector, and international community to improve North Korean human
rights. // The End //
