The government has, for the first time, raised at the UN Security Council(UNSC) the issue of human rights of North Korean women who have fled their homeland.

South Korea’s Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook called attention to the numerous hardship faced by women who escape North Korea in a speech at a council meeting on women, peace and security on Thursday.

Hwang said it is “appalling and heartbreaking” that many such women are only able to come to South Korea after enduring years in prison or falling victim to human trafficking. He added that they face harsh reprisals if they are repatriated, including torture and other cruel punishment.

The South Korean envoy said women account for 72 percent of some 34-thousand North Korean escapees who entered South Korea since the 1990s. 

Hwang stressed the need for “neighboring countries” to apply the principle of non-refoulement for North Korean escapees. He was apparently referring to China, which has been slammed by human rights groups for regularly repatriating North Korean defectors after they attempt to flee to South Korea and other nations.