Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Human rights groups condemn Seoul's deportation of 2 N. Korean fishermen
Members of civic groups condemn the government's deportation of two North Korean fishermen back to the North during a press conference in front of the Government Complex Seoul, Nov. 8. Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Human rights groups here and abroad are condemning the South Korean government's recent deportation of two North Korean fishermen, citing concerns over the possibility of torture and execution after they were returned to the North.
They also said the Constitution recognizes North Koreans as South Korean nationals, so Seoul should have guaranteed their basic human rights and provided legal protection.
The two North Koreans in their 20s, who entered South Korean waters in a fishing boat Nov. 2, were accused of killing 16 of their crew members. After questioning them, the government sent them back to North Korea through the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjeom Nov. 7, even though the two showed an interest in defecting to the South.
Human rights groups have accused Seoul of deporting the two without sufficient investigation or appropriate efforts to protect their rights.
“Returning these two men to North Korea was illegal under international law because of the likelihood they'll be tortured under North Korea's extremely brutal legal system,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement, Tuesday.
"South Korean authorities should have thoroughly investigated the allegations against the two men and ensured they had a full opportunity to contest their being returned to North Korea.”
Human Rights Watch also said Seoul did not release any details about how it came to the decision to deport them or how it was sure the two would be safe if returned to the North. It added the government could have prosecuted them for the alleged murders, because the Constitution says domestic law is applicable to the entire Korean Peninsula.
“While international refugee law excludes from refugee status individuals who committed serious non-political crimes outside the receiving country, human rights law prohibits returning anyone to a country where they would be at substantial risk of being tortured, whether they are a refugee or not,” the group said.
The Korean Bar Association (KBA) also expressed concerns over the deportation, which it regards as a human rights violation.
“North Korea people are acknowledged as South Korean citizens under the Constitution, and the country is obligated to guarantee the basic rights of its citizens,” the KBA said in a statement, Thursday. “North Koreans need to be given the same basic human rights as South Koreans. There should not be a case where human rights issues are neglected due to political or policy reasons.”
Another lawyers' group, Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea, said it filed an urgent appeal to the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment and the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the North, Monday.
“We asked the special rapporteurs to send a letter to the North Korean regime to request safe and fair treatment for the fishermen,” the group said in a press release. “Our action is also aimed at informing the North Korean regime that international society is paying attention to their safety, so torture or inhumane treatment should be avoided.”
Several civic groups also held a press conference in Seoul, Nov. 8, to denounce the deportation, saying it was aiding and abetting the North's violation of the two men's human rights.