North Korean human rights violation victims file historic lawsuit against Chairman Kim Jong-un

A North Korean defector has taken action to hold accountable those responsible for the horrific human rights violations he experienced in North Korea.

On the 9th, the North Korean Human Rights Information Center (NKDB) announced that on the 11th, Choi Min-kyung, the representative of the Association of Families of Victims of Abductions from North Korea, will file a civil and criminal lawsuit against Kim Jong-un and other North Korean officials in a South Korean court.

Representative Choi Min-kyung plans to submit a civil complaint to the Seoul Central District Court and a criminal complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office on the 11th.

Her story vividly illustrates the pain endured by many North Korean defectors.

She escaped North Korea in 1997, but during her stay in China, she faced the tragedy of forced repatriation in 2008.

After that, she endured unimaginable suffering for about five months in detention facilities in North Korea, including the State Security Department in Onsung, North Hamgyong Province.

The human rights violations experienced by Representative Choi included serious levels of sexual violence, physical abuse, and inhumane torture.

In response to these brutal acts, she plans to file a lawsuit against Kim Jong-un and five officials from the State Security Department on charges of violating international criminal law.

A courageous challenge towards justice

Representative Choi stated, "I approach this with a desperate heart, believing that we must hold accountable the crimes against humanity committed by the Kim family's hereditary regime," and added, "I hope this legal action will raise both domestic and international awareness of North Korean human rights issues."

In this regard, the NKDB's Human Rights Violation Support Center declared, "This is a historically significant event as it is the first lawsuit filed by a victim of human rights violations born in North Korea," and expressed its intention to proceed with international procedures, including submission to UN human rights bodies and the International Criminal Court (ICC), aiming to raise awareness of North Korean human rights issues more vigorously in the international community.

This lawsuit could represent a significant turning point in the approach to North Korean human rights issues.

While the international community and human rights organizations have continuously expressed concern about the human rights situation in North Korea, instances of holding concrete legal accountability have been rare.

In 2014, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on North Korean human rights concluded that systematic and widespread human rights violations were occurring in North Korea, categorizing it as a "crime against humanity."

This lawsuit is an important attempt to move towards actual legal accountability based on this international recognition.

Image sources: Kim Jong-un, Chairman of North Korea / News1 (Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun), Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae / News1 (Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun), illustrative material for understanding the article / Photo = Insight