Lee Sinhwa: "Will Strongly Raise Issue of 'China's Forced Repatriation' at the UN"

North Korea Human Rights Envoy to Attend UN General Assembly Dialogue on 23rd
"Forced Repatriation, a Critical Issue... Strongly Raise Concerns"
Joint Statement by Korean and US Ambassadors Also Considered to Prevent 'Additional Repatriations'

Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to strongly raise the issue of the Chinese government's forced repatriation of North Korean defectors residing in China at the United Nations General Assembly. While the government is focusing on 'international solidarity' rather than direct negotiations with China, which does not recognize defectors as refugees, Ambassador Lee intends to take the UN stage and voice concerns directly. It is also reported that a joint statement by South Korea and the United States is being considered.

In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, Ambassador Lee stated, "I will strongly raise the issue of forced repatriation of defectors not only at the 'interactive dialogue' to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York but also through a trilateral meeting with Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, and Elizabeth Salm?n, the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights." He added, "The forced repatriation issue will be a significant topic of discussion." The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with human rights issues, is scheduled to hold an interactive dialogue on the theme of 'Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in North Korea' on the 23rd (local time), including a regular report by Special Rapporteur Salm?n.

Lee Sinhwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Shortly after his appointment on the 16th, Ambassador Lee met with Special Envoy Turner, who had just visited Korea, to exchange views on the 'forced repatriation incident.' At that time, he criticized, "China wants to be a global leadership country that complies with international law, but I cannot understand why they forcibly repatriated people to North Korea for any reason." In response, Special Envoy Turner said, "If we know the exact names of the parties involved in the forced repatriation issue, we can effectively discuss the matter by naming them when talking with the relevant authorities." He added, "This is possible when open channels with 'civil society' are maintained."

The 'civil society' mentioned by Special Envoy Turner is interpreted to refer to human rights organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Ambassador Lee also proposed a different approach from previous administrations, which suppressed civilian voices on the defector issue, in an interview with this publication at the end of last month, about two weeks before the large-scale forced repatriation incident. He emphasized, "It is important to utilize the voices of NGOs and human rights organizations." In particular, at that time, Ambassador Lee directly addressed the Chinese government, saying, "If you want to play a leading role in the international community, you must first demonstrate compliance with human rights and humanitarian norms."

Lee Sinhwa, International Cooperation Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights (right), and Julie Turner, U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights
[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is reported that Ambassador Lee is also considering issuing a joint statement with Special Envoy Turner during the upcoming interactive dialogue at the UN General Assembly to prevent 'additional repatriations.' This appears to be a plan to continue South Korea-U.S. cooperation to increase pressure on China.

Furthermore, attention is focused on how the forced repatriation incident will affect the European Union's (EU) announcement to submit a 'North Korean Human Rights Resolution' to the Third Committee at this General Assembly. The EU has been submitting resolutions since 2005, and the General Assembly has adopted the resolution for 18 consecutive years until last year.

Meanwhile, earlier reports from missionary groups engaged in rescuing North Korean defectors indicated that on the night of the 9th, the day after the closing of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese government suddenly repatriated 500 to 600 North Korean defectors residing in China en masse. Four days later, on the 13th, the Ministry of Unification stated, "It appears to be true that a large number of North Korean residents, including defectors, were repatriated from the three northeastern provinces of China to North Korea."

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