Anchor: North Korean defector Choi Min-kyung has filed civil and criminal charges against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Choi alleges that she was subjected to physical torture and sexual violence when she was detained in North Korea in 2008. This is the first time a North Korean-born defector has taken legal action against the Kim regime. KBS World has spoken with the plaintiff.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: Choi Min-kyung escaped North Korea six times and was forcibly repatriated four times. 

After her last repatriation, in 2008, Choi says she was sent to the notorious Jeongeori prison camp and experienced gruesome torture and sexual violence.

[Sound bite: Choi Min-kyung — Head, NK Imprisonment Victims’ Family Association (Korean-English)]
“After my final repatriation, I was sentenced to three years at the infamous Jeongeori No. 12 Reeducation Camp.
…
“34 people from our rural area in China were forcibly repatriated to North Korea. Most of them tragically died in detention, and only six were released alive. ... When I was released, my weight dropped from 57 kilograms to just 27 kilograms, and I shrank from 160 centimeters to 157 centimeters in height. I barely clung to life, surviving in the most fragile state imaginable.”

Choi came to South Korea in 2012 and launched a rights group for prisoners in the North.

Last week, 53-year-old Choi filed charges against Kim Jong-un in the first legal action by a North Korean defector against the North Korean leader.   

[Sound bite: Choi Min-kyung — Head, NK Imprisonment Victims’ Family Association (Korean-English)]
“Personally, I now face threats to my safety, but despite that, we refuse to remain silent. As survivors of torture, we have a duty to hold those responsible fully accountable. Through this legal action, we hope that the international community will also take a deeper interest in the human rights situation in North Korea, paying close attention to the government’s responses. I hope this case will become a turning point that leaves a permanent record in history.”

The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights is assisting her legal action.

The Seoul-based human rights group’s executive director, Hanna Song, says Choi’s testimony is consistent with that of other defectors her organization has worked with.

[Sound bite: Hanna Song — Executive Director, Database Center for North Korean Human Rights]
“We can’t physically compel North Korea to appear in court or comply with rulings, and that’s a political reality. But the purpose of this lawsuit goes beyond collecting damages. It’s about setting legal precedent, creating a path for future cases, and sending a clear message that these crimes are being documented and challenged in courts of law. Every judgment builds pressure and helps lay the foundation for accountability …”

The nonprofit organization plans to bring Choi’s case to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

During an interview with KBS World, the two activists called for the establishment of a North Korean human rights museum so the regime’s crimes will not be forgotten.

The full interview with Choi will air on KBS World Radio’s Korea24 on Thursday night.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.