Chungnam, Human Rights Survey of North Korean Defector Women Residing in the Region

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A human rights survey of North Korean defector women residing in the Chungnam region will be conducted.

According to Chungnam Province on the 18th, as of December last year, a total of 1,557 North Korean defectors newly settled in Chungnam, of which 1,229 (78.9%) are women and 328 (21.1%) are men.

In particular, since 2000, the influx of North Korean defectors into Chungnam has shown a continuous increasing trend.

Also, there is a characteristic that female North Korean defectors are relatively more numerous than males, and these women are understood to face difficulties such as violence, family disintegration, and discrimination based on origin during the defection and settlement process in Korea.

Accordingly, the province plans to conduct a research project titled ‘Chungnam North Korean Defector Women Human Rights Survey’ and, based on the research results, discover and promote various policies to help North Korean defector women adapt to the local community.

The survey will focus on ▲the right not to be discriminated against from a gender-sensitive perspective ▲the right to be free from violence ▲social rights ▲maternity rights (pregnancy and childbirth) ▲childcare rights ▲children’s right to education ▲health rights ▲human rights awareness.

An official from the Provincial Human Rights Center said, “The number of North Korean defector women in the province increased from 890 in 2015 to 1,229 last year. Considering this trend, it is estimated that the number of North Korean defector women will reach 1,579 in 2023.”

He added, “Through the research project, the province will seek policies to resolve difficulties faced by North Korean defector women in the local community and do its best to realize a human rights society where everyone is respected.”

Meanwhile, on the 18th, the province held a kickoff meeting for the ‘Chungnam North Korean Defector Women Human Rights Survey’ research project at the provincial government office. About 20 people, including North Korean defector women, provincial human rights commissioners, provincial officials in charge, and experts, attended the meeting, which included a report on the project overview and direction, Q&A, and discussions.

The research project is being conducted by the Chungnam Women’s Policy Development Institute. The institute plans to conduct a human rights survey and result analysis targeting North Korean defector women residing throughout the province by the end of November this year, identify the current status of human rights protection levels, and suggest institutional improvement measures for human rights promotion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.