UN highlights N. Korea's ongoing human rights crisis; defectors testify

At the United Nations, two North Korean defectors detailed troubling tales of human rights abuses in North Korea during a meeting convened for the first time at a high level to address the problem.

Our North Korean affairs correspondent Kim Jung-sil covers their testimonies and more.

The first session of its kind at the General Assembly featured live testimonies from North Korean defectors.

Kim Eun-joo shared her story of escape and the trauma she faced.

"On our first night in China, my 14-year-old sister was kidnapped, kidnapped, sexually abused, and left on the roadside. Later, my mother, sister, and I were sold for only 2,000 CNY, less than US$ 300. This tragedy is not only my family's story; many others face the same brutal reality under the North Korean regime."

Kang Gyu-ri, a relatively recent defector, spoke about many still in the North.

"There are still millions of North Koreans who have no access to any information about the outside world, who believe that they have no choice but to live under the three generations of the Kim dynasty's personality cult."

This point was also highlighted by UN official Ilze Brands Kehris.

"The laws carry severe punishments, including the death penalty in some cases. The internet is not available. Similarly, freedom of movement is extremely restricted."

Also discussed were the global security implications of North Korea's human rights violations.

"The DPRK is exporting instability and violence to the Middle East and to Europe, and the root cause of this is the human rights violations that the DPRK perpetrates."

Elizabeth Salmón, UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean human rights, tied militarization to more exploitation, citing troops sent to Russia.

"As the DPRK expands its extreme militarization policies, it exacerbates the extensive reliance on forced labor and quota systems."

North Korea's Permanent Representative to the UN, Kim Song, rejected the claims, accusing Western nations of politicizing the issue.

"It is shocking that such a meeting is convened, going against the universal will of the international community."

Despite Pyongyang's rejection of the claims, Tuesday's session has once again brought North Korea's human rights situation to the global forefront.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.