Human rights in North Korea are bleak and deteriorating, and the citizens are under severe repression, starvation, and harsh punishment. Defectors reported dehumanizing mistreatment, famine, and capital punishment for such minor offenses as viewing South Korean dramas. It spends more on its military than on its people’s needs and even dispatches soldiers to battle under brutal conditions abroad. Forced labor, cybercrime, and illegal arms sales fund its nuclear and military operations. These violations imperil not just North Koreans but global peace and security, as North Korean arms are used in fighting, such as in Ukraine. Even as North Korea and its friends deny these violations, the UN General Assembly underscored these abuses, seeking more decisive action. Experts call for establishing an independent commission to probe human rights abuses tied to defense spending, so future diplomacy treats both security and human rights. The preservation of North Koreans’ basic rights is important for global stability.
Almighty GOD, rescue the people of North Korea from oppression. Let them not be given into the hands of their persecutors. We pray for greater freedom of expression, speech, and movement in North Korea (The Holy Bible, Jeremiah 39:17).
Pray for the international authorities to take immediate action to protect the rights and safety of innocent civilians in North Korea. Pray for the end of the oppressive regime in the country (The Holy Bible, Psalm 141:1).
News Source: Human Rights Watch
Image Source: Canva
