Discussion among university students and young leaders

On November 27th, 2009, People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE) in cooperation with US State Department, Korea National Assembly Human Rights Forum, Korea Leaders Academy and Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea, successfully hosted an International Youth Conference on North Korean Human Rights. The conference was held at the Korea Economy (Hankyung) Newspaper Building and was attended by Korean and foreign university students, experts and scholars particularly interested in North Korean Human Rights and Protection of Defectors.

The conference was divided into two sessions. During the first session, authorities in the field of International Law and Human Rights delivered their lectures. Presenters during the first session were Prof. Bok-hee Jang of Sunmoon University who discussed the situation of the stateless defectors in China and how they can be protected citing international laws, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Bill of Rights; and Mr. Hee-youn Do, President of Citizen’s Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees who shared his experiences in helping and rescuing the North Korean defectors who fled to China and Thailand, particularly the second generation (the children of the first generation defectors) who are battling difficult lives to survive. Discussants during the first session were Tim Peters, Founder of Helping Hands Korea; Boris Kondoch, Professor of UNITAR ; and Youngil Kim, a North Korean defector and Director of PSCORE. The three discussants imparted their personal experiences and insights as to the issue of defection and the ‘de facto’ statelessness of the defectors who fled to China, Russia, and Thailand.

During the second session, university students and youth leaders delivered their scholarly and practical views on the possible solutions and measures for the protection of North Korean defectors. Invited presenters included Namsoo Han, Director of Association of the Youth for Human rights of North Korean defectors; Minyong Seo, Project Director of AIESEC Seoul Women’s University; Sungjik Uh, student representative of Kookmin University; Taehwan Guak from Korea University; Jonathan Abramovic from University of North Florida and PSCORE representative; Jimin Park, Director of Education, Youth and College Student’s Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea; Shantana Shahid from Soderton University and Yiming Luo from Renmin University. During the wrap-up session, based from the suggestions of the student presenters, it was concluded that in order to address the issue concerning North Korean Human Rights and Protection of Defectors the following should be taken into action and consideration: (1) Strengthening of the civil society through education and social awareness campaigns; (2) Strengthening of the Non-Government Organizations and resolving conflicts of interest among them; (3) Maximization of the role in Media in information dissemination; (4) Inter-country and regional cooperation; and (5) Holding of academic forums and gearing of support for Volunteer

Kim Young-il, Rep. of PSCORE

During the 1st session of experts