Ministry of Unification releases the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights

Ministry of Unification releases the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights,
revealing severe human rights situations in North Korea

Public Executions for Watching and Distributing South Korean Films and Music,
Punishment for Wearing White Wedding Dresses as "Reactionary"

Ministry of Unification highlights the first case of punishment under the
Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture
Mobile phones are frequently inspected for use of South Korean-style language
Overseas workers characterized as "modern day slaves," with most wages paid to the authorities

The Government has included in its report the first case in which North Korea has recently punished its residents with public execution under the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture.

On June 27, 2024, the Ministry of Unification released the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights, featuring a case involving a 22-year-old man from South Hwanghae Province who was publicly executed for listening to 70 South Korean songs, watching three movies and distributing them to others.

The report draws on various testimonies from North Korean defectors, underscoring how North Korean authorities actively enforce laws including the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture (2020), the Youth Education Guarantee Law (2021) and the Law on Protecting the Pyongyang Cultural Language (2023) aimed at suppressing its residents.

Furthermore, North Korea has intensified its social education and punishments under these three laws, which were designed to restrict residents' access to outside information, particularly targeting the youth.

Authorities frequently inspect residents' mobile phones, checking for contacts and any usage of South Korean language styles or expressiσns, such as nicknames or abbreviations.

In particular, any non-socialist style is deemed "reactionary ideology," leading to severe punishments, including brides wearing white dresses, grooms carrying brides at weddings, and the wearing of sunglasses.

As the designated agency for documenting human rights violation cases under the North Korean Human Rights Act, the Center for North Korean Human Rights Records has published the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights, outlining the prevailing human rights situation in North Korea.

As the second publication, this year's report expands on last year's testimonies of 508 North Korean defectors by including investigations of 141 additional defectors in 2023.

This report specifically sheds light on a range of human rights abuses concerning issues including information control, forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, overseas workers, as well as political prison camps, abductees, detainees, and ROK prisoners of war.

To enhance public understanding of the status of North Korean human rights, the Ministry of Unification has prepared both leaflet and video versions of the report.

The leaflet highlights key testimonies depicting the reality of human rights in North Korea. The video report features stories of North Korean defectors, narrated by actor and Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights, Yoo Ji-tae.

Both the leaflet and video reports can be accessed via a QR code on the Ministry of Unification's website, where the Korean version is also available in e-book format.

Following the release of the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights, the Ministry of Unification will use this opportunity to organize follow-up events including the 2024 International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights, policy briefings for diplomatic missions in the Republic of Korea, and various awareness campaigns to highlight North Korean human rights issues globally.

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