7 II. Review of existing fact-finding studies and research This chapter reviews principal Korean research on the reality of human rights violations faced by North Korean refugee women within North Korea, during their flight and in the course of resettlement. Research existing in Korea includes, inter alia, fact-finding studies and research reports produced by organizations and research institutes, as well as research dissertations by individual researchers. Amongst research conducted outside Korea, the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will be specifically examined. In the following, existing research will be assessed with a focus on three major issues. Firstly, what have existing studies mainly researched? More specifically, how have human rights violations against North Korean refugee women been classified and studied? Secondly, what are the political proposals or implications put forward by existing fact-finding studies, research reports, research dissertations, etc.? Thirdly, what are the general characteristics of existing fact-finding studies, research reports, and dissertations? 1. Classifications and contents of existing research on human rights violations 1) Fact-finding studies and research conducted by organizations and research institutes Although, overall, reports on fact-finding studies and research carried out so far by research institutes and organizations deal with the whole nexus of North Korea and human rights, they address, on the level of specific subject matter, various sub-themes from slightly differing angles.