Annual report on North Korean human rights abuses to be kept under wraps

Unification Ministry’s 2024 report on North Korean human rights Courtesy of the Unification Ministry — Courtesy of the Unification Ministry

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - The Unification Ministry here said on Tuesday that it will continue compiling its annual report on human rights abuses in North Korea, though it will be published for internal use only.

The report, mostly based on testimonies from North Korean defectors, documents their suffering and harrowing tortures during their escape from the isolated country.

The ministry has published the report annually since 2018, although some previous governments had kept it under wraps.

When asked why the report is kept confidential, a ministry official explained during a press briefing, "The disclosure of the report has had little effect on improving the human rights situation in North Korea," adding that merely naming and shaming the North may appear "confrontational."

The latest decision was also due to the lack of fresh testimony.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com