UN Special Rapporteur on N. Korea emphasizes victims' voices in Seoul visit

오헤아 킨타나 북한인권 특별보고관 기자회견... The UN's Special Rapporteur on North Korean human rights was on his first trip to South Korea since taking his post. He met with local civic organizations and defectors from the regime whilst in the nation. Lee Ji-won outlines Tomas Ojea Quintana's views and future plans. When discussing accountability measures for human rights abuses,... the most important thing is to hear from those who suffered. That's according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana, who spoke to reporters in Seoul Tuesday about Pyongyang's human rights violations. Quintana spent his first visit to the South Korea since his appointment in August... meeting authorities, organizations and North Korean defectors. "I was moved by the testimony of people who left the DPRK who are emotionally scarred by that long and complex journey. Talking to these victims has allowed me to understand some of the human rights violations that motivate their decision to leave." He added that ensuring accountability is one of the main pillars of the UN's agenda regarding the regime's human rights abuses,... but that it was a challenge for his predecessors to engage with North Korean authorities due to the lack of communication channels. "There is a need to establish a channel of communication from my side to the DPRK authorities. Formally speaking, the channel of communications is the DPRK representative in Geneva, and what I am doing for the time being, is exchanging communications with them." He said,... as a Special Rapporteur, he will gradually build those channels and keep the accountability agenda alive. Ojea Quintana's activities are being watched by the international community all the more closely... with the UN General Assembly next month likely to pass its strongest-ever North Korean human rights resolution, which for the first time lays those crimes at the feet of the North's leadership... and makes specific reference to the regime's exploitation of its workers sent overseas. Lee Ji-won, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld