Several members of the UN Security Council on Thursday condemned North Korea for an abysmal human rights record which they said is only getting worse.
The regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was criticized for allocating substantial resources to its nuclear weapons program even as many people are unable to access basic necessities due to the worsening economic situation.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told the first open meeting of the Security Council since 2017 on North Korea human rights that the country’s people have endured periods of severe economic difficulty and repression, but “currently they appear to be suffering both.”
“According to our information, people are becoming increasingly desperate as informal markets and other coping mechanisms are dismantled, while their fear of state surveillance, arrest, interrogation and detention has increased,” he said.
Türk attributed many of these violations to the increasing militarization of North Korea, indicating that numerous infringements were linked to or directly supported the country’s military ambitions. He pointed out the prevalent use of forced labor, including among children, to bolster the state’s military capabilities and weapon-building endeavors.
Türk said North Korea has shut down markets and other means of earning income, which has led to a rise in crime. “This sharply constrains people’s ability to provide for themselves and their families,” he said.
He said anyone found viewing “reactionary ideology and culture” could face prison, and those found distributing such material may face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.