North Korean Human Rights Violations

North Korea has historically been known as a country that violates many human rights of North Korean citizens, motivating them to seek refuge in another country such as China. However, China is actively contravening its international obligations toward North Korean refugees by infringing upon international human rights laws such as violating the commitment to adhere to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees by recognizing North Koreans that have fled their country as refugees. Furthermore, it is vital that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) do not actively engage in the process of forcing North Korean refugees back to North Korea as they will be subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment for leaving North Korea on account of the fact
North Korean ideology stemmed from Confucianism, imported from China during the Yi dynasty (1392-1910). This ideology stressed the importance of collective rights—referring to the state—over individual rights. The next way of thinking that influenced North Korean human rights ideology was the concept of Juche which translates to “self-reliance.” This concept was first expressed in 1955 under the leadership of Kim Il-sung. This way of thinking emerged as the state ideology after the international hostility towards North Korea after the Cold War, particularly in regards to North Korea’s nuclear intentions. It is evident to conclude that this state ideology has evolved into the human rights thinking in North Korea in the present. The most important philosophy in North Korea is to be loyal to the state and those who are viewed as untrustworthy, such as those who fled south during the Korean war and anyone associated with these people, for example, are treated unfairly and have more occurrences of human rights abuses. In 1981, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had signed the United Nations human rights covenants, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). In addition, the DPRK had signed the Covenant on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 2000
Many North Korean refugees wish to leave their country due to political repression, family reunion, economic difficulties, and the ultimate goal of freedom, to name a few. Most North Korean refugees are between the ages of 25 and 50 and just over half of them are women. Family background is a factor that contributes to the desire to leave their own country because those that are related to those that are seen as disloyal to the state, landowners, or those who went South during the Korean War were very disadvantaged. For example, many ended up in labour camps, assigned the worst jobs, or had poorer education. These disadvantaged individuals account for 75% of the population. One of the biggest reasons for leaving North Korea is due to the circumstances of the economy. In addition, North Koreans suffer the conditions of living in a country that suppresses their rights such as freedom of information and all forms of media. The media in North Korea is severely controlled, and those that are caught listening to Chinese radio stations, for example, will be viewed as traitors and punished. Most North Korean refugees understood that living in China would be better for them and their families from rumours and word of mouth. The most common way to flee the country was to pay state officials (Allen et al, 2006, pp.