From Ministerial Aides to Human Rights Commissioners... Rush of North Korean Defectors Entering Public Office

Lee Hanbyeol, Director of the North Korean Human Rights Promotion Center, Appointed as First Human Rights Commissioner
Kim Geumhyeok, 'Defector Youth', Becomes Policy Advisor to Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
Public Sector Workforce Sees Net Increase... Surpasses 200 Last Year

Following the political entry of Tae Yong-ho and Ji Sung-ho, members of the People Power Party who are former North Korean defectors, the advancement of defectors in the fields of veterans affairs and human rights is also gaining attention. As defectors participate not only in settling into Korean society but also in policy and legislative processes, it is being evaluated as a meaningful signal to the elite class within North Korea.

According to the government on the 8th, the National Human Rights Commission appointed Lee Han-byul, head of the North Korean Human Rights Promotion Center, as a non-standing commissioner on the 29th of last month. As the first human rights commissioner from among North Korean defectors, Lee has now begun to fully grasp his duties. The term for a non-standing commissioner at the Human Rights Commission is three years, and the president makes the final appointment after a candidate recommendation committee’s public recruitment and screening process.

Hanbyul Lee, Director of the North Korean Human Rights Promotion Center

In a phone interview with Asia Economy, Lee said, "It is an honor to be able to help those in difficult situations now as an advocate, having been in the position of a victim," adding, "Although I have many shortcomings, I will strive to improve the human rights of socially vulnerable groups such as defectors, women, children, and the disabled." Lee defected in 1999, passed through China in 2002, and then entered South Korea. He graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a major in Chinese, and has served as secretary of a civic group for the enactment of a proper North Korean Human Rights Act, director of the Defector Refugee Human Rights Violation Reporting Center, and member of the Ministry of Unification’s North Korean Human Rights Promotion Committee.

Having been active in North Korean human rights organizations, Lee pointed out at a forum held after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration published the 'North Korean Human Rights Report' for the first time, "North Korea fears international pressure on human rights more than the suspension of nuclear weapons development," and added, "Unfortunately, in South Korea, North Korean human rights issues are framed politically, losing a balanced perspective." He advised, "To prevent repeated cycles of attention and neglect depending on domestic political situations, civil and government sectors must actively cooperate to ensure continuous and institutional measures."

Non-standing commissioners are not public officials. However, since Lee has emphasized 'civil-government cooperation' to prevent the politicization of North Korean human rights issues, he is expected to serve as a link between the two sides. The Human Rights Commission has been conducting North Korean human rights projects since 2003 and continues activities related to defectors’ human rights conditions, as well as issues concerning prisoners of war and abductees. Lee said, "From the perspective of someone who has experienced difficulties, I will carefully observe the problems defectors face when settling into Korean society and also consider what role I can play for North Korean human rights."

'Defector Youth' Who Revealed North Korean Realities... Selected as Minister’s Policy Advisor

Kim Geum-hyeok, Policy Advisor to the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

'Defector youth' Kim Geum-hyuk was appointed as a policy advisor to the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on the 19th of last month. Kim, a prodigy from Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, became known through various broadcasts conveying the realities of North Korea after coming to South Korea. The minister’s policy advisor holds a Grade 5 administrative officer position, and except for former lawmaker Jo Myung-chul, who was appointed head of the Unification Education Institute in 2011, this is the first case of a defector being hired as a public official at Grade 5 or higher.

Kim said, "It is an honor to finally be able to do meaningful work for society after only receiving help from the state." He added, "Since I have been entrusted with the role of assisting the minister, it is inappropriate to be singled out just because I am a defector. I will do my best not to disappoint the trust of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and if anyone has good ideas for our veterans policies, please feel free to contact me."

Born in Pyongyang, Kim attended the Pyongyang Foreign Language Academy and studied English Language and Literature at the Foreign Languages Department of Kim Il-sung University. While studying in Beijing, China, the 'Cheonan sinking' incident occurred in 2010, and during a debate with South Korean students about this issue, he realized the contradictions in North Korean society. Eventually, he defected from China in 2012 and entered South Korea within a few months.

He also has experience working in the campaign of Yoon Suk-yeol, then a candidate of the People Power Party, during the 2021 presidential election. After Yoon’s victory was confirmed, Kim contributed to the 20th Presidential Transition Committee’s Current Affairs Support Team, and since March this year, he has voiced his opinions as the youngest member of the Ministry of Unification’s Future Unification Planning Committee. Recently, through his SNS, he expressed his aspiration to "overthrow North Korea’s dictatorship and create a world where basic human rights are protected."

"Defectors’ Social Participation...A Signal to Overthrow Kim Jong-un"

Ministry of Unification

This kind of entry of defectors into public office is evaluated as a factor that could unsettle North Korea’s elite class and shake the Kim Jong-un regime. A government official said, "The government believes that encouraging the social participation of capable defectors can undermine the legitimacy of the North Korean authorities and offer alternatives to the North Korean elite." He added, "There are many who have risen to socially high positions or achieved great business success to the extent that their names are well known, but many choose not to disclose that they are defectors for fear of negative perceptions."

Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the participation of defectors in policy has noticeably increased. The Future Unification Planning Committee, an advisory body to the Minister of Unification, includes experts such as policy advisor Kim Geum-hyuk, Kim In-tae, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, Ko Young-hwan, former head of the Strategy and Intelligence Office at the Institute for National Security Strategy, Hyun In-ae, visiting research fellow at Ewha Womans University’s Institute for Unification Studies, and Kim Young-hee, head of external cooperation at the South-North Hana Foundation, working across five subcommittees.

Three defectors, including Lee Han-byul, head of the North Korean Human Rights Promotion Center, Kang Cheol-hwan, head of the North Korea Strategy Center, and Kim Sung-min, head of Free North Korea Radio, also participate in the North Korean Human Rights Promotion Committee. This committee was formed by the Ministry of Unification in March this year to substitute for the 'North Korean Human Rights Foundation,' which has not been launched for seven years due to lack of cooperation from the National Assembly. Defector experts advise on policy formulation to promote North Korean human rights and expand consensus.

The number of defectors entering the public service sector as 'public officials' is steadily increasing. According to the Ministry of Unification, the number of defectors working in central government and local governments over the past three years has increased from 187 in 2020, to 191 in 2021, and 202 last year. Two defector experts also support analysis in the Situation Analysis Subcommittee of the Ministry of Unification’s Policy Advisory Committee, which analyzes North Korea’s trends and conditions, including the recent North Korean Party plenary meeting held last month.

The Ministry of Unification is implementing policies to support defectors’ social participation beyond mere settlement. An official from the Ministry of Unification explained, "To reflect defectors’ expertise, information, and voices in policy, we considered appointments to the Future Unification Planning Committee," and "we are providing a 'customized' foundation such as alternative schools and education expense support so that defectors can fulfill their roles and responsibilities as members of our society."

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