Unification Ministry holds a public hearing on “Families’ Calling for International Solidarity: Issue of Abduction, Arbitrary Detention and Forced Disappearance”

Families' Calling for International Solidarity: Issue of Abduction, Arbitrary Detention and Forced Disappearance

Unification Ministry holds a public hearing on "Families' Calling for International Solidarity: On August 29, the Ministry of Unification held a public hearing on "Families' Calling for International Solidarity: Issue of Abduction, Arbitrary Detention and Forced Disappearance."

This public hearing was hosted on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances* to raise global awareness of the severity of North Korea's enforced disappearances and to strongly raise recommendations for truth-seeking and resolution of issues for North Korean authorities at the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November.

* International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances: On December 21, 2010, by its resolution 65/209, the UN General Assembly decided to declare August 30 the "International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances" to protect all persons from enforced disappearance, to be observed beginning in 2011.

The public hearing was divided into two sessions: "Statements on Resolving the Issues of Abductees and Detainees" and "Statements on Improving Human Rights in North Korea." Ambassadors from countries with diplomatic relations with both South and North Korea and representatives from North Korean human rights civic groups attended the event. Participants had the opportunity to directly listen to the appeals of the families and engage in a question-and-answer session.

In her opening remarks, Unification Vice Minister Kim Soo Kyung said, "North Korea should not make the mistake of thinking that it could conceal its crimes against humanity, including abductions and detentions, with the weight of passing time." She added, "The Ministry of Unification will not let go of this issue until the end."

Furthermore, the vice minister earnestly requested that like-minded countries strongly call for the confirmation of the life and death of the victims of abductions, detentions, and forced repatriations during the upcoming UPR.