This statement was delivered by Human Rights Watch at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea held on March 19, 2025.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her comprehensive report, outlining the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea (DPRK)´s ongoing rights violations and their linkages to development, peace, and security.
For years, the DPRK government has sought to maintain effectively a black hole of information for the population, restricting independent reporting, while escalating repression. As the Special Rapporteur’s report highlights, the DPRK has further restricted movement, work, and expression. Civil society groups outside the country play a crucial role in exposing these violations, ensuring that concerned governments and international actors can respond. Yet, groups working on North Korean human rights are now struggling due to recent funding cuts.
Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch reported on increased repression since Covid-19 based on interviews with people who had escaped from the DPRK. Abuses included heightened surveillance and fear, intensified crackdowns on foreign media access, and worsening economic conditions due to government restrictions. The Special Rapporteur also reported that in November 2024, she and other mandate holders raised concerns over the reported public trial of 11 forcibly returned women. Two were reportedly executed the same day, and the rest sentenced to life imprisonment.
We urge UN member states to:
Increase support for organizations monitoring and reporting on human rights violations in the DPRK;
Enhance efforts to hold rights abusers in the DPRK accountable;
Support the Council resolution on the situation of human rights in the DPRK;
Renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur; and
Investigate the nexus between security, development, and human rights, particularly regarding forced labor and weapons development.
UN member states should not allow DPRK abuses to remain in the dark.
Thank you.