A decade after a 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry confirmed that these acts may amount to crimes against humanity, accountability remains elusive. Traditional justice mechanisms have made little headway, while diplomatic engagement with North Korea has failed to improve human rights. This lack of progress has emboldened perpetrators, reinforcing a system where state officials operate with near-total impunity.
Recognising these barriers, Korea Future has focused on alternative mechanisms for justice, including the use of targeted human rights sanctions. Recent sanctions imposed by the EU directly target North Korean officials responsible for SGBV in detention facilities, freezing their assets and restricting their international movement. Unlike broad economic sanctions, these measures are focused on individual accountability and can be legally challenged, reinforcing their legitimacy. If expanded across jurisdictions in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, they could significantly disrupt the ability of perpetrators to operate with impunity.
North Korea’s recent mass repatriation of escapees raises urgent concerns that returning women will be detained and subjected to the same cycle of violence. These risks are well-documented, yet international protection mechanisms remain weak. There is a critical need for stronger documentation efforts, real-time monitoring, and coordinated diplomatic action to prevent these violations from continuing unchecked.
At CSW69, Korea Future issued two urgent recommendations. First, governments and international bodies must invest in systematic documentation and evidence preservation to ensure that evidence is not lost. Any pause in this work reinforces impunity. Second, states must expand targeted human rights sanctions against identified perpetrators of SGBV, coordinating these efforts across jurisdictions to ensure a unified and forceful response.
