North Korea-China-Russia Human Trafficking 'Failing Grade'... Government Expects South Korea to Improve to 'Tier 2'

Korea, Formerly Top Tier, Downgraded to Tier 2 Since Last Year
Government: "Early-Year Human Trafficking Law Effects Not Reflected"
North Korea, China, Russia All 'Failing Grades'... North Korea Worst for 21 Consecutive Years

In the U.S. Department of State's "Trafficking in Persons Report," which evaluates the status and response levels of human trafficking in various countries, South Korea was classified as Tier 2 for the second consecutive year. The government stated that since the Anti-Human Trafficking Act was recently implemented, related indicators are expected to gradually improve. North Korea, China, and Russia all received failing grades, with North Korea being labeled the "worst human trafficking country" after receiving Tier 3 for 21 consecutive years.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 16th, "The government is undertaking various efforts to respond to human trafficking," adding, "The U.S. government has also acknowledged progress in the Korean government's efforts over the past year." The official further noted that since the Anti-Human Trafficking Act was enacted in January this year, the government's response to human trafficking is expected to improve further as more time passes.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is announcing the '2023 Trafficking in Persons Report' on the 15th (local time) at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the U.S. Department of State released the "2023 Trafficking in Persons Report" on the 15th (local time). South Korea's status was downgraded from Tier 1 to Tier 2 for the first time in 20 years last year, and it was classified as Tier 2 for the second consecutive year this year. The U.S. Department of State stated, "South Korea did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons," but also acknowledged that "significant efforts are being made." Specifically, issues raised included ▲ the possibility that some victims may not be identified due to insufficient procedures ▲ the potential punishment of some victims for illegal acts resulting from trafficking. In particular, the report pointed out that the Korean government had not submitted any reports identifying victims related to labor exploitation trafficking of "migrant workers."

The U.S. Department of State has published an annual report since 2001 evaluating the monitoring and enforcement levels of human trafficking worldwide according to its domestic laws, categorizing countries into Tiers 1 to 3. The evaluation period for this report, covering 188 countries including the U.S., was from April last year to March this year. Since South Korea's Anti-Human Trafficking Act was announced in January this year, the government assesses that there was not enough time for its effects and achievements to be reflected in the report. South Korea has consistently maintained Tier 1 except for the first year of the report's publication, last year, and this year.

North Korea, China, and Russia All Fail... North Korea, 21 Consecutive Years as the 'Worst Country'

In September 2018, North Korean women dressed in hanbok participated in the "International March for Peace, Prosperity, and Reunification of Korea" held on the outskirts of Pyongyang. [Image source=AFP·Getty image]

North Korea, China, and Russia all received a failing grade of Tier 3. In particular, North Korea has been classified as Tier 3 for 21 consecutive years since 2003. The report criticized North Korea for "making no efforts to address human trafficking issues." It especially pointed out that the North Korean leadership uses profits earned from forcing its citizens into forced labor to fund government operations.

Specifically, the report estimated that there are 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners in North Korean camps and 20,000 to 100,000 workers dispatched to China in restaurants and factories, stating, "There are government policies or patterns involving political repression systems such as camps and labor training centers, large-scale mobilization of adults and children, and imposition of forced labor on overseas workers."

Regarding China, the report highlighted issues such as repression of ethnic minorities including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Tibet, forced labor, and forced labor in the Belt and Road Initiative projects. Additionally, China has recently faced repeated criticism from the United Nations, the U.S. Congress, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) for its policy of forcibly repatriating North Korean defectors. Although this issue was not reflected in the evaluation period of this trafficking report, there is a strong possibility that next year's report will address China's human trafficking issues by highlighting the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors.

Earlier, three South Korean human rights organizations?North Korea Human Rights Citizens Alliance (NKHR), Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), and the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights in North Korea (INKHR)?submitted a report on the human rights abuses of North Korean women defectors in China to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for the first time, leading to the first "recommendation for improvement" directed at the Chinese government. Notably, Shin Hee-seok, a legal analyst from the Transitional Justice Working Group, appeared as an "expert witness" before the U.S. Congress on the 13th (local time), directly criticizing the organized human trafficking, forced marriages, and the risk of infanticide of children caused by the forced repatriation policy.

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