Translated by Jennifer Di Giacomo
“To prevent the population from seeing and hearing, they intensified repression. It was a form of control aimed at eliminating even the slightest sign of dissatisfaction or protest.”
This testimony, collected by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) from a fugitive from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), resonates with a gravity that defines the changed landscape of the country. The UN agency's annual report, released on September 12, paints an alarming picture of profound regression: the analysis highlights how, since 2014, the human rights situation in the country has not improved at all, but in many respects has actually worsened, with the population subjected to restrictions whose severity and pervasiveness are decidedly anomalous in today's world.
Initial hopes for improvement, which arose after Kim Jong Un took office in 2011 with promises of a better life and the “Byungjin” policy (economic and nuclear development), proved to be short-lived. By mid-2013, the government had already introduced purges and repressive measures, to the extent that government control over every aspect of citizens' lives had become “the most absolute in decades,” a crackdown accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and consolidated by new laws and surveillance technologies for total and widespread control. In this regard, the state's isolation has deepened significantly due to international sanctions and the severing of ties with the Republic of Korea and much of the international community since 2019. This isolation has limited connectivity and people's ability to provide for themselves, as the government has reaffirmed state control over the economy, restricting private trade in essential goods.
There is no trace of fundamental freedoms: this is evidenced by laws such as the 2020 anti-reactionary thought law, which has allowed for the criminalization of access to foreign information and ideological non-conformity, with severe punishments, including the death penalty. Repression against the dissemination of external information (which can include music, films, and K-dramas) has intensified since 2018 and has become harsher since 2020, leading to several public executions used as a deterrent. Access to the internet remains almost totally impossible, although by 2022 around 50-80% of the population now owns a cell phone. A government task force (Group 109) is responsible for inspecting computers, radios, and televisions in homes with the aim of detecting anti-socialist material, justifying these measures on the grounds of national security.
As for the judicial system, despite reforms on paper, it operates with arrests without warrants, inadequate investigations, and summary trials. The death penalty has been significantly expanded since 2015, extending its application to crimes not classified as “most serious crimes”: these include the distribution of unauthorized media, drug-related crimes, economic crimes, prostitution, pornography, human trafficking, and murder. Political prison camps persist, witnessing serious violations such as forced disappearances, forced labour, and summary executions, all documented by satellite imagery. From a legislative standpoint, despite the Law on the Election of Deputies to People's Assemblies at All Levels being amended in August 2023, no one dared to come forward in the local elections of November 2023.
The field of economic, social, and cultural rights remains fraught: informal markets, vital for survival, have been drastically restricted, exacerbating the chronic food insecurity that afflicts over 40% of the population. “Eating three meals a day is a luxury for most people in the country,” says Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with reports of deaths from starvation between 2021 and 2023. Discrimination based on songbun continues to affect life opportunities: women are vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and violence; people with disabilities continue to face stigma and discrimination; and education remains out of reach for children from the poorest families. The right to education continues to be compromised, to the extent that “young people have reported that they no longer see any value in studying and attending university, as education does not guarantee a better life.”
Against a backdrop of general deterioration, there have been only a few limited and isolated developments, such as nominal improvements in the treatment of some prisoners or the introduction of new laws that, in theory, would strengthen guarantees of a fair trial. However, the discrepancy between the state's international obligations and the daily reality of its citizens remains evident, and their implementation is often problematic.
In conclusion, the OHCHR's final analysis reveals a human rights situation that has not only deteriorated overall since 2014, but also shows an almost total absence of accountability for violations. Most of the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations have remained unimplemented, and accountability for international crimes is non-existent. As the OHCHR report suggests, “Peace is closely linked to human rights, particularly on the Korean peninsula. It requires de-escalation and dialogue.” An international community that intensifies its efforts to promote accountability and lasting change is therefore necessary, as only a concerted effort can pave the way for a future of greater freedom and equality.
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