DPRK

The use of defector and survivor testimonies at the public hearings in Seoul, Tokyo, Washington and London is one of the remarkable ways in which the Commission of Inquiry contributes to the body of knowledge on North Korea.

In a nearly 400 page-long report, the Commission of Inquiry completely and utterly condemned the North Korean state by accusing it of committing systematic and widespread crimes against humanity against its own citizens. These violations – essential components of the totalitarian system, according to the report – are of such gravity, scale and nature that they “reveal a state that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world.”

Eun Kyoung Kwon is a modest South Korean woman with a strong and passionate desire to help her North Korean neighbours. For years she and the  NGO she works for, Open Radio for North Korea (ORNK), have been active in raising international interest for the deplorable situation of the North Korean people.

The findings of the report are appalling, blood chilling for those who read it. Although many facts were already known, this report is unprecedented in the way it sheds light on the scale and nature of the grave human rights violations that have been committed in this country for decades.

The firm conclusion by the COI that North Korea has been committing crimes against humanity needed further action. There was skepticism on the follow up. What were the chances that the UN Security Council would pick up on conclusions and recommendations and refer the case to be properly investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC)?