North Korean defectors testify about executions, ongoing abuses at Seoul event



News North Korean defectors testify about executions, ongoing abuses at Seoul event Public sessions at UN office are part of effort to update landmark 2014 report on DPRK’s violations of human rights Jooheon Kim June 25, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A North Korean woman carrying her child on her back \| Image: NK News (2010) North Korean defectors offered first-hand testimony about the Kim Jong Un regime’s persistent human rights crimes in Seoul on Wednesday, describing violations ranging from bans on travel and discrimination against people with disabilities to the execution of those who distributed K-pop. The two-day public sessions at the U.N. Human Rights Office in South Korea are part of the U.N.’s effort to prepare an update to the landmark 2014 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report. The new report will be presented during the U.N. Human Rights Council in Sept. 2025. North Korean defectors offered first-hand testimony about the Kim Jong Un regime’s persistent human rights crimes in Seoul on Wednesday, describing violations ranging from bans on travel and discrimination against people with disabilities to the execution of those who distributed K-pop. The two-day public sessions at the U.N. Human Rights Office in South Korea are part of the U.N.’s effort to prepare an update to the landmark 2014 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report. The new report will be presented during the U.N. Human Rights Council in Sept. 2025. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

News

North Korean defectors testify about executions, ongoing abuses at Seoul event

Public sessions at UN office are part of effort to update landmark 2014 report on DPRK’s violations of human rights

Jooheon Kim June 25, 2025

North Korean defectors testify about executions, ongoing abuses at Seoul event

A North Korean woman carrying her child on her back | Image: NK News (2010)

North Korean defectors offered first-hand testimony about the Kim Jong Un regime’s persistent human rights crimes in Seoul on Wednesday, describing violations ranging from bans on travel and discrimination against people with disabilities to the execution of those who distributed K-pop.

The two-day public sessions at the U.N. Human Rights Office in South Korea are part of the U.N.’s effort to prepare an update to the landmark 2014 Commission of Inquiry (COI) report. The new report will be presented during the U.N. Human Rights Council in Sept. 2025.

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting

Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.

Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.

North Korean defectors testify about executions, ongoing abuses at Seoul event

Try unlimited accessOnly $1 for four weeks

Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

One more step!

Trending

Recent Stories

About the Author

Jooheon Kim

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

Start your day with
the North Korea stories that matter most –