Four North Korean Defectors Sue Lee In-young for Defamation, Claiming Their Testimonies Were Treated as Lies

Minister of Unification Lee In-young is answering questions from the press at a luncheon hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club held on the 3rd at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Choyoung] On the 22nd, some North Korean defectors filed a complaint with the prosecution against Minister of Unification Lee In-young for defamation by false facts regarding his remarks that the testimonies of defectors about North Korean human rights lack "confirmation and verification."

The North Korean human rights organization Mulmangcho held a press conference near the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on the same day, announcing, "Four defectors have decided to submit a complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against Minister Lee on charges of defamation by false facts."

Mulmangcho stated, "The defectors filing the complaint against Minister Lee have testified about the realities of human rights violations they experienced whenever they had the opportunity after settling in the Republic of Korea," and added, "Saying that the defectors' testimonies require verification seriously damages their honor."

They continued, "Speaking to foreign media, especially foreign correspondents in Korea, as if their testimonies were lies is an unforgivable act of defamation and a threat to North Korean defectors who have come seeking freedom."

Furthermore, they criticized, "Although the Minister of Unification should take the lead in rescuing North Korean compatriots from the quagmire of human rights violations, he has instead defended the perpetrators of North Korea's human rights crimes," and said, "Labeling activists involved in North Korean human rights movements as liars and suppressing them is an unmistakable illegal act of dereliction of duty and abuse of power that cannot be overlooked."

They added, "Such remarks and perceptions by Minister Lee constitute an act of treason against the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and a crime against defectors," and urged, "The prosecution should conduct a thorough investigation and impose severe punishment."

Earlier, on the 3rd, Minister Lee sparked controversy by stating at a foreign press briefing regarding the disclosure of North Korean human rights records, "It is still insufficient to confirm and verify whether the records are factual or merely one-sided statements recorded from defectors."

In response to the controversy, Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, explained at a regular briefing on the 22nd, "The Ministry of Unification and the Minister clearly recognize that the testimonies of defectors are valuable records that inform our government and the international community about the human rights situation in North Korea," and clarified, "The Minister did not make any remarks implying that the defectors' testimonies are unreliable lies."

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