2. HISTORY OF NORTH KOREA
North Korea was born from the division of Korea into two different countries: North Korea
and South Korea. This was after the end of World War II when the country was divided
between the Soviet Union and the United States: North to the Soviets and South to the
Americans. The two powers drew the boundary line at the 38th parallel. Allied armies had
liberated the country from nearly 40-year Japanese domination, which began in 1910,
when Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
3. KOREAN WAR
After the partition of the country, a pro-Soviet-communist
government was founded in North Korea headed by Kim Il-Jung,
while in the south a pro-American capitalist government led by
Syngman Rhee was formed. With the departure of American and
Soviet troops, between 1948 and 1949, the northern country
decided, on June 25, 1950, to launch an attack and reconquer the
southern part under the communist flag. In a short time, the North's
army captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and the rest of the
country.
U.S. President Truman, aware of the communist threat, convened an
extraordinary council with the highest officials of the UN to organize
a defense plan and provide aid to South Korea. However, the UN
troops are defeated by the North Koreans and are forced to retreat.
Truman then sent further reinforcements and this time the
counterattack of the US Marines was effective: Seoul was
recaptured and the Northern Army was pushed beyond the line of
battle.
4. HUMAN RIGHTS IN
NORTH KOREA
Many of the human rights and civil
liberties in North Korea are non-
existent, grossly violated, and de facto
not respected by the state, even though
the Constitution formally guarantees
them. There is no freedom of speech,
the media is tightly controlled, and
leaving the country is virtually
impossible.The only sources of
information available on human rights in
North Korea are from former detainees
and guards who managed to escape and
inform Human Rights Watch and
Amnesty International.
5. LABOUR LAW
North Korea is one of the few nations in the world
that does not belong to the International Labor
Organization. The Workers' Party of Korea, the
country's de facto single party, controls the only
authorized trade union organization, the General
Federation of Trade Unions of Korea.
In the Kaesŏng industrial region, near the border
between the two Koreas, South Korean companies
employ 50 000 North Korean workers.There, the
laws governing working conditions fall far short
of international standards on freedom of
association, the right to collective bargaining,
protection from gender discrimination and
sexual harassment.Another problem in North Korea
is the use of forced labor, especially in the mining
and textile industries.
6. Freedom of expression and access to
external sources, freedom of the
press, TV and radio
The North Korean Constitution has clauses that guarantee freedom
of speech and peaceful assembly. Criticism of the government or the
president is strictly forbidden, and those who make such statements
risk being arrested and imprisoned in "re-education camps." The
government controls the media and citizens are forbidden to receive
information from media in other countries, unless they face severe
penalties.
The North Korean constitution provides for freedom of the press,
but in practice all media outlets are tightly controlled by the
government. Newspapers focus almost entirely on political
propaganda and praise of Kim Jong-il and his father.
Reporters Without Borders has denounced that all radio and
television stations that can be purchased in the country are
designed to receive only government frequencies and are sealed to
prevent tampering. Trying to manipulate them to receive foreign
broadcasters is considered a serious crime. During a party rally in
2003, local party leaders in each neighborhood or village were
ordered to check whether each device still had the seal.
7. Freedom of worship:The
case of Kenneth Bae
North Korea officially adheres to state atheism, however the
Constitution provides for "freedom of religious belief." In
practice, however, government policies continue to interfere
with one's right to choose and manifest one's religious beliefs.
The government continues to crack down on the activities of
unauthorized religious groups. Refugees, defectors, missionaries
and NGOs report that both people who have tried to proselytize
religiously in the country, and those who have had contact with
evangelical groups operating on the border with China, and
specifically returnees from China who have been found to be in
contact with foreigners or missionaries, have been arrested and
subjected to severe penalties. Refugees and defectors claim to
have witnessed arrests and executions of members of
underground Christian churches.
The most famous is Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in December
2012 and released on November 8, 2014. Kanneth Bae is an
American evangelical Christian missionary of Korean descent,
and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison by the North
Korean authorities in April 2013.
8. Persecution of Christians:
the case of Ri Hyon-ok
North Korea is the worst among the countries
that persecute Christians.
There are numerous testimonies of people sent
to prison camps and subjected to torture or
inhumane treatment because of their faith. It
is estimated that between fifty and seventy
thousand Christians are detained in North
Korean camps. There have been public
executions of Christians in the country.
For example, Ri Hyon-ok was publicly executed
on 16 June 2009 for lending Bibles, while her
husband and children were deported to
Hoeryŏng Concentration Camp.
10. SITOGRAPHY
• Quali sono le violazioni dei diritti
umani in Corea del Nord?
(greelane.com);
• Corea del Nord: diritti umani e
basi internazionali - (iari.site);
• Diritti umani in Corea del Nord -
Wikipedia;
11. NORTH KOREA
As a finally report, in this country:
Many of the human rights and civil liberties
are non-existent, grossly violated and de facto
not respected by the state, although the
Constitution formally guarantees them. There
is no freedom of speech, the media is tightly
controlled, and leaving the country is virtually
impossible.
