Kim Jong Un cries in public tribute to North Korean soldiers in …
Reuters
A defector from North Korea is suing Kim Jong Un over claims of abuse that she faced while detained in the dictatorship under which he rules.
Choi Min-kyung is filing civil and criminal charges against the North Korean ruler as well as four other Pyongyang officials, reports the BBC.
She fled North Korea in 1997 for China, but was forced to repatriate in 2008, where she claims she faced sexual abuse and torture on her return. In 2012, she fled again and settled in South Korea.
She is due to file the case on Friday (11 July) in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday and it will be a landmark moment, making it the first time a North Korean defector has filed legal action against the regime, says rights group Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB).
In the past, courts in South Korea have ruled against North Korea in similar cases brought by South Koreans, but the verdicts are mostly symbolic and not acknowledged by Pyongyang.
The NKDB says it also plans to take Min-kyung’s case to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.
Kim Jong UnGetty Images
“I earnestly wish for this small step to become a cornerstone for the restoration of freedom and human dignity, so that no more innocent North Koreans suffer under this brutal regime,” Choi said, according to a statement by NKDB.
“As a torture victim and survivor of the North Korean regime, I carry a deep and urgent responsibility to hold the Kim dynasty accountable for crimes against humanity,” she added.
Choi said she continues to experience psychological trauma from what happened and now relies on medication.
International human rights groups have monitored and documented alleged violations by North Korea, including abuse and systematic discrimination, for years.
In the past, civil cases have ruled against North Korea, but the regime has not responded to any of them.
"What we’ve come to understand through years of work on accountability is that what victims really seek isn’t just financial compensation - it’s acknowledgement,” Hanna Song, executive director of the NKDB, explained.
“Receiving a court ruling in their favour carries enormous meaning. It tells them their story doesn’t just end with them - it’s acknowledged by the state and officially recorded in history.”
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