"Mysterious Ghost Disease"... First Public Testimony on 'Exposure at North Korea Nuclear Test Site'

North Korean Residents Who Died from 'Gwisinbyeong' Reveal First Testimony
Concerns Over Radioactive Water Leakage Near Nuclear Test Site
Ministry of Unification Begins Full Inspection... First Results to Be Announced by Year-End
Lee Sinhwa: "Nuclear Program Is a Human Rights Issue Beyond Security"

Concerns have been raised that radioactive materials released from North Korea's 'Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site' could spread to hundreds of thousands of residents through groundwater. Amid these worries, defectors originally from the area have come forward with the first public testimonies. Although the number of patients suffering from unexplained illnesses increased after the nuclear tests, residents, unable to recognize the danger due to North Korean authorities' information control, simply referred to the ailments as 'ghost diseases.'

(From the left) A defector testifying about nuclear test damage and a satellite image of Namseok Reservoir, created by damming the waterway (Namdaecheon) that started at the nuclear test site.
[Photo by Yonhap News, Jeonhwan Gijeong-ui Working Group (TJWG)]

As part of the 20th 'North Korea Freedom Week' event, a press conference was held on the 20th at Centerpoint Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where four defectors from Kilju County?Kim Sun-bok (pseudonym), Lee Young-ran, Nam Kyung-hoon, and Kim Jung-geum?attended as witnesses. This marks the first time defectors have publicly testified regarding radiation exposure concerns around the nuclear test site area.

Kim Bok-soon, who entered South Korea in 2011, stated that while living in Kilju County, she used water from the Namdaecheon stream flowing down from Punggye-ri, where the nuclear test site is located, as drinking water. She said, "Before the nuclear test site was constructed and before soldiers installed barriers and controlled movement, Punggye-ri was a rural village with good water and beautiful scenery," adding, "Now, there is no way to find that past appearance anymore."

In particular, Kim testified, "At some point, the number of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis increased, as did those diagnosed with tuberculosis and dermatitis." She continued, "As more people suffered from illnesses without clear diagnoses, they called it 'ghost disease.'" She explained, "There were even rumors that to get better, one had to visit a shaman to have talismans written."

Satellite image of Namseok Reservoir, created by damming the waterway (Namdaecheon) that started at the nuclear test site. A defector from Kilju County testified that this reservoir is the water source for the entire Kilju County's water supply, and equipment presumed to be a water intake tower was actually detected.
[Photo by Jeon Hwan-gi, Justice Working Group (TJWG)]

This testimony aligns with suspected radiation exposure cases of defectors from Kilju County collected by this publication through the nonprofit Sand Research Institute in March. Multiple defectors who testified at that time commonly reported symptoms such as unexplained indigestion, cancer diagnoses, headaches, vision loss, and birth defects, which were confirmed as typical symptoms that appear first after radiation exposure.

Lee Young-ran, who lived in Kilju County during the third nuclear test, testified that after defecting and arriving in South Korea, she became aware of the harmful health risks of the nuclear tests. Lee said, "Most Kilju residents were exposed because they used water from Punggye-ri as drinking water," adding, "After the nuclear tests, one by one, people were diagnosed with tuberculosis and died within four years."

Her son, who remained in Kilju County, was also diagnosed with tuberculosis and passed away. Lee explained that she sent money to her son through China so he could receive treatment at a hospital in Pyongyang, but the authorities had a policy that "patients from Kilju County are not allowed to set foot in Pyongyang," so he never received proper treatment and ultimately died.

Despite claims of no issues during Moon's administration... attention on full inspection results

Earlier, the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a human rights investigation organization, released a special report in February this year after tracking and investigating these radiation exposure concerns for four years. The report pointed out the risk of radioactive materials leaking from the nuclear test site spreading to residents and neighboring countries through groundwater. Subsequently, the Ministry of Unification launched a full-scale investigation and is conducting tests aiming to announce the first results within the year.

However, during the Moon Jae-in administration, the Ministry of Unification conducted two rounds of investigations involving 40 defectors, and although abnormal levels were detected in nine individuals, the tests were terminated citing 'confounding variables.' Among those tested was a woman in her 40s who showed a radiation dose of 1386 mGy, more than twice the exposure level of workers involved in the Fukushima nuclear disaster cleanup in Japan. The unit mGy (milligray) measures the absorbed radiation dose in the body, and it is rare to detect more than 10 mGy in everyday life. Despite this, the conclusion was that there was no problem with these levels.

Especially for residents around the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, it is crucial to verify radiation exposure based on which water sources they use for drinking, as groundwater and rivers?potential carriers of radioactive material leaks?are commonly used as drinking water. However, during the previous investigation, the Ministry of Unification identified the drinking water sources but did not disclose either the test results or the fact that tests were conducted, citing 'no significant results.' The Ministry has accepted such criticism and plans to publicly release all related test results, including drinking water source investigations, starting with this year's full-scale survey results, as stated in their announcement.

Lee Shin-hwa: "North Korean nuclear issue is a human rights issue beyond security and health"

At a press conference held on the 20th at Center Point Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as part of the 20th 'North Korea Freedom Week' event, Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is greeting attendees.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At the press conference, Lee Shin-hwa, Director of International Cooperation for North Korean Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized, "While North Korea's nuclear program and rocket launches receive attention, equally important issues that must be addressed are North Korea's deplorable human rights conditions, unprecedented anywhere else in the world." She emphasized, "Health risks such as radioactive material leaks from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site are a representative example."

Suzanne Scholte, Chair of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, recalled, "When we first heard testimonies from defectors in the U.S. in 1999, many were shocked by accounts from those who had been in political prison camps." She noted that the courageous testimonies of defectors have made the world aware of North Korea's human rights situation. She added, "I hope that the testimonies from defectors from Kilju County will also help the world understand the health damages suffered by residents."

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