National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2017
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2. Major activities
1) Opinions and Chairperson’s statement
● Statement regarding a North Korean human rights resolution adopted by the United Nations
Human Rights Council
The 34th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted, without a vote, a
North Korean human rights resolution, which lays out specific procedures and methodologies—
strengthening the capacity of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, establishing a central information and evidence repository, and having experts in
legal accountability assess all information and testimonies with a view to developing possible
welcomed the resolution and issued a statement that it hopes to see positive effects on the North
Statement urging the PRC government to stop the forcible repatriation of North
Korean refugees to North Korea
Following the death of a family of five North Koreans who killed themselves while being
forcibly repatriated to North Korea by the Chinese authorities, and in response to a Chinese
government statement that displaced North Koreans would not be recognized as refugees and
would be sent back to North Korea, the Commission on 28 July issued a statement urging the
PRC government to comply with the Refugee Convention and Convention against Torture to
recognize displaced North Koreans as refugees under international laws, and to immediately
stop their forced repatriation to North Korea. It also urged the ROK government to place utmost
diplomatic efforts to ensure that the PRC government takes measures to protect the rights of
displaced North Koreans residing in China and stops their forced repatriation.
Decisions to secure the safety of Korean nationals held captive in North Korea
The ROK government has called on the North Korean authorities to send back the South
Korean nationals who are considered to be held captive in North Korea. However, North Korea
has either refused or not responded to our government’s request for repatriation or consultation.
Commission's
Major Activities
Korean human rights situation.
Part 2
strategies to be used in any future accountability process. On 28 March, the Commission