BASPIA English Blog

Afterthoughts from the International Symposium on North Korean Human Rights

Last year at school, I wrote a paper on “Why North Korean Defectors are Not Recognized as Refugees?” Through this assignment, I learned about international refugee law and current situations on North Korean defectors. So at this symposium, I expected to learn up-to-date theory and action within this field.

The symposium really did not come up with any tangible solutions, especially regarding UNHCR’s stance and China’s government. UNHCR still upheld the conventional definition of refugees, mainly considering North Korean defectors as economic migrants. In my opinion, UNHCR needs to bring more comprehensive perspectives in defining refugees. However, considering the limit of UNHCR’s capacity as well as geopolitical delicacy surrounding China and Korean peninsula, I understand the difficulties in its action. 

As for the Chinese standpoint, this event was said to be the first time any professors from China came to speak about their opinions. Since NGOs have criticized China for not protecting North Korean defectors and for violating the principle of non-refoulment, I expected these professors to align themselves with NGOs’ stance. To my surprise, the Chinese professors seemed to advocate China’s tough policy.  A professor from Yanbian University, Kim Gang-Il, caught my attention by emphasizing the priority of regional stability outweighs humanitarian concerns, and thus China’s difficult situation should be understood and not put under further pressure through publicizing the issue. I believe his argument is practical and realistic even though his statement is likely to be controversial for human rights activists.  

The Political External Section Chief of U.S. Embassy, Brian McFeeters, stated that nuclear issues takes precedence over humanitarian concerns. He emphasized that the North Korean defectors issue falls within the responsibility of Asian nations, rather than the U.S government, because the majority of defectors reside in Asian countries such as China.  It seemed to me that the U.S is also inclined to opt for the silent diplomacy just as China.

Overall, the symposium was an opportunity for me to reaffirm the viewpoints of various parties concerned, although I would have liked to hear about opinions from Chinese government representatives. It seemed that a new consensus in favor of silent diplomacy is being built as an alternative to publicizing. Silent diplomacy may give involved countries more room for practical action; however, it risks leaving vulnerable people at the government’s disposal. This is why I can’t help but hope that silent diplomacy is not just another way of turning a blind eye to the asylum-seekers from North Korea. 

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