South Korea Promises Not to Repatriate North Korean Defectors Against Will

News Summary

According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) on Wednesday, South Korea has vowed not to forcibly send North Korean defectors back to their country against their will, as it did with two North Korean fishermen in 2019.

Recently, the National Security Office (NSO), the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the Ministry of Unification informed the NHRCK that they will agree to its 2023 request to implement specific measures aimed at enhancing the protection of North Koreans seeking freedom from the Kim regime.

It took over a year for them to respond to the commission's decision criticizing the top security agencies from the previous Moon administration for repatriating two fishermen to North Korea, even though the fishermen had requested to remain in South Korea.

Commentary

According to South Korea's Constitution, all Koreans on the Korean Peninsula are recognized as South Korean citizens. South Korea has no legal basis to repatriate North Korean defectors to the North whatsoever.

Furthermore, the Moon administration knew what fate the two fishermen would face upon repatriation: death. From a human rights viewpoint, it was absolutely inhumane to send them back to North Korea.

But the Moon administration, after three days of investigation, deemed the fishermen as "criminals on the run" and sent them back to the North. Their fishing boat, considered the key evidence of their alleged crime, was sanitized and returned the following day. This was nothing but a deliberate act of murder to appease Kim Jong Un and his regime.

The recent promise made by the Yoon administration is not something special; it should have been made by all previous administrations. The incident involving the two fishermen needs to be reexamined, and all individuals implicated, even if it involves former President Moon Jae In, should be held accountable.

The Yoon administration should prioritize informing North Koreans about its commitment to safeguarding North Korean defectors and refraining from repatriating them. This announcement is likely to have a significant impact on the Kim regime, akin to a nuclear bomb.