Four Defectors Plan to Sue Unification Minister Lee In-young for Defamation

Minister of Unification Lee In-young is attending the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th, providing a work report. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seung-jin] Some North Korean defectors have announced plans for legal action in response to Minister of Unification Lee In-young's remark that testimonies on North Korean human rights lack "confirmation and verification."

The North Korean human rights organization Mulmangcho announced on the 21st that four defectors plan to file a lawsuit against Minister Lee on the 22nd for defamation by false facts.

They claimed that Minister Lee's statement at a foreign press briefing on the 3rd, saying "there is a lack of confirmation and verification in defectors' testimonies related to North Korean human rights," implied that "the defectors' testimonies are unreliable lies."

They also stated in the complaint that "considering the total devastation occurring in North Korea, it is true that only the tip of the iceberg is barely revealed, yet to portray their testimonies as lies to foreign media is an act that threatens North Korean defectors who have sought freedom."

Furthermore, they urged strict punishment, saying, "Minister Lee In-young's remarks and perception constitute an act of treason against the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and a crime against defectors."

The plaintiffs plan to hold a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court at 2 p.m. on the 22nd, followed by submitting the complaint.

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