The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) will petition the UN to investigate the cases of six South Korean detainees in North Korea, the commission confirmed to NK News on Tuesday.

The state-funded but independent human rights watchdog held a general meeting on Monday and agreed “on measures to secure the safety of citizens of the Republic of Korea detained in North Korea,” according to the organization’s website.

Seoul’s Ministry of Unification (MOU) has said that six South Koreans are currently being held against their will in North Korea – a statistic that does not include so-called “redefectors” who