On 20 October, 2022, Korea Future, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea co-hosted the 2022 International Conference on North Korean Human Rights.

The conference was held in the United Kingdom’s Houses of Parliament and was opened by Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, and Song Doohwan, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

Panels featured politicians, legal experts, and North Korean exiles on efforts to address impunity for human rights violations and prospects for international justice and accountability. We welcomed a broad spectrum of attendees, from policymakers and civil society actors to researchers and media.

Recordings of the conference can be found here. Our panels were:

• Panel 1: Freedom of Religion or Belief in North Korea

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool, Co-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea.

  • Suyeon Yoo, Co-Director, Korea Future.

  • Vija Herefoss, Senior Advisor, Stefanus Alliance International.

  • Timothy Cho, Inquiry Clerk, All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea.

• Panel 2: Key Challenges for Human Rights in North Korea

  • Hyeonsim Lee, Investigator, Korea Future.

  • Lim Eul-Chul, Associate Professor of North Korea Studies, Kyungnam University.

  • Ji Hyun Park, North Korean Human Rights Activist.

  • Soo Bin Yoon, Investigator, Korea Future.

• Panel 3: Opportunities in Addressing Human Rights in North Korea

  • Janet H. Anderson, Journalist and podcaster.

  • Dr. Kate Ferguson, Co-Executive Director & Head of Research and Policy, Protection Approaches.

  • Catriona Murdoch, Partner, Global Rights Compliance.

  • Nancy Yu, Director of Programmes, HURIDOCS.

  • Megan Smith, Legal Officer, REDRESS.

In his remarks, Lord Alton of Liverpool commented,

“It is clear there is a great deal of work still to be done. Achieving justice for the most serious crimes known to humankind will not prove an easy task. Nonetheless, we owe to it North Korea’s women, men, and children who, after enduring unimaginable crimes, have no voice to demand justice.”