The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) has reported that over 100 North Koreans have vanished after attempted defections, underscoring persistent human rights concerns in the region. Their comprehensive report, “Existing ‘Nowhere’: Looking into North Korea’s Crimes of Enforced Disappearance,” is a critical part of their ongoing mapping project designed to document and address human rights abuses in North Korea.
The report highlights that North Korea’s Ministry of State Security, border guards, Defense Security Bureau, and the Ministry of Social Security, along with Chinese police, account for 81.4% of these enforced disappearances following arrest and detention. Among the victims, 79.6% were detained within North Korea, while 20.4% were apprehended in other countries, including China and Russia. Many of those affected, notably 47.8%, were relatives of defectors interviewed by the TJWG, while 35 out of the 113 disappearances occurred between December 2011 and April 2021.
The demographic spread of the victims shows that 38.9% were individuals in their 20s and 30s, with 11.5% being children under ten years old. A significant proportion were men (58.4%), although the percentage of women victims is notably higher compared to other countries. Grounds for arrests and disappearances include attempting to escape, preparation for escape, association with would-be escapees, assistance to others in defecting, external communications, and criticism of the state’s policies.
Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, the Advocacy Director of the TWJG, indicated that the group will soon publish further advocacy reports to delineate current and future initiatives aimed at holding North Korea accountable for these serious human rights violations. The group’s immediate report aims to both illuminate North Korea’s human rights record and prompt decisive international governmental action.
Supporting these findings, a 2024 report by Freedom House, a US non-profit, emphasizes the severe repercussions for political dissent in North Korea. Previously, in 2012, North Korea was ranked lowest for civil liberties according to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World survey due to its oppressive governance.
While Article 13 of the North Korean Constitution acknowledges freedom of speech, the TJWG points out enforced disappearances often occur due to criticism of the Kim regime. The regime is known for detaining entire families based on the perceived guilt of association, disregarding internal and international standards for fair trial and due process.