 |
Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Photo: Yonhap News Agency) |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] A North Korean defector will file both civil and criminal lawsuits in a South Korean court seeking accountability for human rights violations allegedly committed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and others.
The Human Rights Violation Support Center of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) announced on July 9 that it will submit a civil complaint to the Seoul Central District Court and a criminal complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on July 11 on behalf of Choi Min-kyung, head of the Association of Families of the Victims of North Korean Abductions and Detentions.
Choi, who defected from North Korea in 1997, was forcibly repatriated to the North from China in 2008. According to her testimony, she endured approximately five months of detention during which she was subjected to sexual abuse, physical violence, and inhumane torture.
The criminal complaint will reportedly accuse five individuals—including Kim Jong Un and members of the State Security Department—of violating the Act on Punishment of Crimes under the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, among other charges.
“I am driven by a deep sense of urgency to hold accountable those responsible for the crimes against humanity committed under the three-generation Kim regime,” said Choi. “I hope this legal action will draw renewed domestic and international attention to North Korea’s ongoing human rights violations.”
The NKDB emphasized the historical significance of the case, noting it is the first lawsuit filed by a North Korean-born victim of human rights abuses. The center also stated it is planning to pursue additional legal action through international mechanisms, including submissions to the United Nations human rights bodies and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
