A large-scale event denouncing North Korea’s repression of human rights has opened in Washington to mark North Korea Freedom Week.

Some 30 North Korean escapees, family members of Japanese abductees, four U.S. legislators and the South Korean government's ambassador at large for human rights, Jhe Seong-ho, gathered in front of Congress Wednesday to voice criticism over the North's human rights conditions.

Participants called for the abolition of political prison camps in the North and the swift release of two U.S. journalists that have been detained in the communist state for more than a month.

In particular, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback urged the Obama administration to come up with active policies to improve Pyongyang’s human rights situation, stressing the need to help the North Korean people and not its government.

This is the sixth, and largest, such event to be held. It will run through Saturday.