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Kim Yong Chol, another top official tasked with North-South relations, had ordered
the suspension of all inter-Korean communication lines by noon the same day. On
16 June, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea blew up the inter-Korea joint
liaison office in Kaesong Industrial Zone. Furthermore, Kim Yo Jong reportedly
threatened to redeploy soldiers to the demilitarized zone and to send 12 million
anti-government leaflets across the border. However, on 23 June, Kim Jong Un
reportedly announced the suspension of plans for military action against the Republic
of Korea. The Republic of Korea has proposed amendments to the laws to prohibit
the sending of anti-leadership leaflets across the border to the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea.
9.
On 24 September, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Korea made public
the fact that a 47-year-old official working at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of
the Republic of Korea had been shot dead and his body burned by the security forces
of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. President Moon Jae-in and the
Ministry of Defence demanded an explanation and for action to be taken against those
who were responsible. On 25 September, the Republic of Korea reported that it had
received a note from the United Front Department of the Central Committee of the
Workers’ Party of Korea conveying Chairman Kim Jong Un’s regret over the incident.
The incident appears to have entailed the unlawful and arbitrary killing of a civilian
who was not exhibiting any imminent threat to life of the security guards, which is in
violation of international human rights law. The Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea must disclose all the information about the case, hold those responsible to
account, compensate the family of the official and ensure such events are not repeated,
which includes reviewing State policy on dealing with alleged trespassers. The
Republic of Korea should also provide all available information on the incident and
urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with its international
obligations.
III. Impact of coronavirus disease on human rights
10. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as at 17 September 2020,
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had tested 3,374 people for COVID -19.
All the results had been negative. 5 Also as at 17 September, 31,773 people had been
placed under quarantine and 31,163 subsequently released. On 23 April, the
Government reportedly extended national emergency quarantine measures until the
end of the year. It ordered the public to refrain from attending large gatherings,
including weddings, funerals, coming of age ceremonies and ancestral rites.
Mobilization for political rallies, farming and ideological sessions by workplaces and
political organizations are continuing. On 25 July, after a suspected COVID -19 case
was detected in Kaesong city, the Government declared a state of emergency and a
lockdown was imposed on the city, which was lifted on 14 August. Reportedly, the
suspected case involved a man who had escaped to the Republic of Korea in 2017 and
had recently returned to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
A.
Impact on the right to health
11. In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 47.8 per cent of the total
population, 12.2 million people, were undernourished in the period from 2016 to
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See www.nknews.org/2020/09/north-korea-tested-3374-people-for-covid-19-all-results-negativewho-says/.
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