This February, the UN’s Commission of Inquiry on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea released a report after a one year investigation, which concluded that North Korea had committed a large number of crimes against humanity. This indictment against North Korea’s leaders found that, “these crimes against humanity entail extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation.”
The report recommended that the North Korean leaders responsible for the abuses, including leader Kim Jong-un, should be held liable, either in the International Criminal Court, with approval from the Security’s Council‘s permanent members, or an ad hoc tribunal to be created by the United Nations. Additionally, North Korea’s political and security systems were denounced in the report, as both use surveillance, intimidation, and strong forms of discipline to maintain political authority. The panel also created a list of proposals, which include the elimination of propaganda, educational reforms, freedom of religion, and steps to ensure gender equality in North Korea.
Moreover, the panel used testimonies from almost 80 witnesses, survivors, and experts to describe the prison camps; in addition, satellite imagery was used. These camps are believed to hold up to 120,000 prisoners, who all are subjected to horrific treatment: public executions, involuntary starvation, and arduous physical labor, among other horrific conditions.
North Korea condemned the report in response, since it reveals their violent methods of rule. An unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman argued that the United States secretly organized the whole report and that Washington should keep to its own matters. North Korea’s state news agency, The Korean Central News Agency, released this statement: “This is an extremely dangerous politically-motivated provocation aimed to tarnish the image of the dignified DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] and ramp up pressure on it in a bid to bring down its social system.”
China is a staunch supporter and protector of North Korea. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, described the report to be, “unreasonable criticism.” She added, “We believe that politicizing human rights issues is not conducive toward improving a country’s human rights. We believe that taking human rights issues to the International Criminal Court is not helpful to improving a country’s human rights situation.”
China, a permanent member of the Security Council, has the power to block any steps taken by the UN to solve these abuses in North Korea. Furthermore, China has the most influence on North Korea than any other nation because North Korea heavily depends on China for food, energy and commerce. The Council on Foreign Relations remarked that the reason why China generally did not back tough sanctions in the past against North Korea was because they were, “avoiding regime collapse and an influx of refugees across their shared 800-mile border.”
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The Council on Foreign Relations also noted that, “analysts say that China’s patience with its ally may be wearing thin.” North Korea’s past nuclear tests and the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek, have caused friction between the two neighboring countries.
The United States needs to take some form of action in response to the atrocities revealed to be occurring in North Korea. Adrian Hong, who is currently the managing director of Pegasus Strategies, suggested that,”The United States should double down on a strategy of supporting defectors and refugees, barring access to the global financial system for officials complicit in crimes against humanity, and presenting a clear moral choice for the regime — immediately cease these atrocities or face the consequences.”
North Korean leaders responsible for these abuses should be punished. As Julie de Rivero, the Human Rights Watch‘s Geneva representative, recommended, “Steps need to be put in place so that North Korea gets the message loud and clear that the issue won’t be ignored and it won’t just be the nuclear issue that triggers an international response.”