A North Korean defector family residing in South Korea has made an urgent plea for assistance, stating that their mother is at risk of being forcibly repatriated from China.
On Thursday, Amnesty International’s South Korea branch organized a press conference near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. Kim Geum-sung, son of the detained woman known as A, participated in the event. They emphasized that North Korean defectors arrested in China face severe human rights violations if returned, including torture, forced labor, intentional starvation, and forced disappearance.
Kim and his mother A defected in 2019 but were separated in China. Only Kim Geum-sung managed to reach South Korea. To finance their escape and journey to South Korea, Kim Geum-sung’s mother remarried in China and established a new family.
Tragically, A was detained by Chinese authorities in January last year while attempting to use the Southeast Asian route to reach South Korea. Recently, Kim Geum-sung received alarming news that his mother might soon face repatriation.
Kim Tae-hoon, who operates a group home for defectors and acts as Kim Geum-sung’s guardian, has repeatedly sent petitions through A’s Chinese husband to secure her release. However, Chinese authorities have not responded. Recently, prison guards informed A’s husband that his wife would soon be repatriated.
Kim Geum-sung expressed his anguish, saying that his heart is torn apart thinking about how cold and difficult the prison must be for his mom. He doesn’t believe anything bad will happen to her. He trusts she will be released safely and live happily again with his uncle (her Chinese husband).
Amnesty International highlighted that the Chinese government’s practice of forcibly repatriating North Korean residents violates the international law principle of non-refoulement.
Moreover, as a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Convention Against Torture, China is obligated not to return individuals to countries where they face risks of torture or serious human rights violations.
Following the press conference, Amnesty International’s South Korea branch submitted a petition to the Chinese Embassy in South Korea. The petition was signed by 2,700 citizens and family members of those at risk of forced repatriation. Previously, the organization conducted a nine-month online petition campaign urging China to stop the forced repatriation of North Korean residents.
Kim Tae-hoon reported that the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on North Korean human rights sent a letter to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and is awaiting a response. Additionally, the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul disclosed that they recently held a meeting with the Foreign Ministry regarding this issue.