Founding Statement

 
As we all know, North Korea's human rights abuses are the worst in the world.  

In addition, there are many human rights issues related to North Korea such as prisoners of war, abductees, defectors and separated families.  

Concerned about the seriousness of human rights in North Korea, the international community established a Commission of Inquiry for the first time at the 21st UN Human Rights Council in March 2013 to improve the human rights situation in North Korea. Humanity, to the International Criminal Court (ICC).  

However, South Korea, which is a party to the treaty, while aiming to be a human rights and law-abiding nation, is postponing the enactment of the North Korean Human Rights Act for the improvement of the human rights of the North Korean for the past 9 years. It has reached the point where it is long overdue and is causing a shame to the lawyers of the Republic of Korea.  

On the other hand, the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula based on a free democratic principle is our task at hand. Having accomplished both unprecedented industrialization and democratization, it is now time to race towards making active efforts to the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula.  

In addition, it is time to plan and design the future of a unified Korean peninsula.  

The improvement of human rights in North Korea and the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula will be a prerequisite and a starting point for Korea to be at the center of the world and contribute to a lasting global peace and prosperity for humanity.  

In response to these demands, our lawyers, who are in charge of establishing the rule of law and advocating for human rights, are seeking to improve the human rights of North Koreans and to lay the foundations for peaceful reunification on the Korean peninsula through various public interest lawsuits, petitions, education, and research activities. We shall by establish "Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (LHUK)" and focus on the following activities.    


First, enacting of the North Korean Human Rights Act.  

Second, making efforts to solve human rights issues related to North Korea such as POWs, abductees, defectors, and separated families.  

Third, researching on the unification process of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of the legal and institutional framework for the unified Korean peninsula.