Human Rights Conditions for Persons with Disabilities in North Korea

By Valerie Johnson, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Diletta De Luca, HRNK Research Associate 
​

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) marked a significant advancement in international human rights law by establishing a global standard for disability-specific protections.[1] Although the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) ratified the CRPD in 2016, following the recommendation of the UN Commission of Inquiry, it continues to systematically violate the rights of persons with disabilities through widespread discrimination, inadequate services, and severe mistreatment.[2] This essay aims to expose the grim reality of disability rights in North Korea, drawing from reports and testimonies to reveal systemic abuses, which starkly contrast with the regime’s superficial efforts to project a standard compliant image. The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members, and North Korea’s actions reveal a significant failure to uphold this principle.[3]

Limited Access and Discrimination

While North Korea’s ratification of the CRPD suggests a commitment to improving disability rights, the reality is starkly different. This divergence becomes evident when examining the limited access to resources and widespread discrimination faced by disabled individuals. Due to the secretive nature of the North Korean regime, specific statistics on the condition of people’s lives are difficult to obtain. However, the testimonies of escapees offer vital, firsthand insights into the harsh realities faced by disabled individuals in North Korea. These accounts are crucial and demand recognition, as they provide undeniable evidence of the systemic neglect and abuse that often goes unreported. Such voices are indispensable in understanding the actual conditions within the country.

Discrimination is pervasive in North Korea and is deeply engrained in societal attitudes that idolize physical strength and productivity as essential to the nation’s ideological and economic vitality.[4] This cultural norm exacerbates the marginalization and stigmatization of disabled individuals, who are viewed as failing to contribute to the regime’s vision of collective strength and self-reliance.[5] Such stigma is particularly harsh for women with disabilities, who face compounded discrimination due to gender biases.[6] As detailed in subsequent sections, reports reveal that people with disabilities in North Korea are often subjected to systemic isolation, which severely limits their social interactions and economic opportunities.  These practices are in direct violation of Article 5 of the CRPD, which ensures equal protection and non-discrimination for persons with disabilities.[7]

During her 2018 visit, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas-Aguilar, encountered significant barriers in accessing comprehensive information about the status of disabled persons in North Korea.[8] She was not permitted to meet with representatives from various government departments or visit mental health services, limiting her ability to conduct a thorough assessment.[9] The few individuals with disabilities she met were under close supervision, which prevented any private or candid discussions.[10] This restricted access underscores the regime’s control over information and its reluctance to expose the true conditions faced by disabled individuals.

Inequitable Services and Rights

Systemic neglect extends beyond mere societal attitudes, infiltrating the distribution of services and rights. The disparity between urban and rural areas illustrates the pervasive presence of inequities in North Korea's infrastructure. While residents of Pyongyang enjoy relatively better services and protections, this privilege is conditional and fragile. North Korean escapee Lee Aeran recounted that families with disabled children are often expelled from the capital to rural areas in an attempt to maintain Pyongyang's image as an immaculate showcase.[11] This practice not only strips these families of better services but also exposes them to severe hardships, revealing the regime's prioritization of image over the well-being of its vulnerable citizens.[12]

Despite national efforts, such as the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD) working on a national plan to improve the rights of disabled persons, these initiatives often fail to reach or benefit individuals in rural areas.[13] For example, a source from North Hamgyong province reported that the government has been using disabled people to elicit sympathy from international donors for funding and to foster loyalty to Kim Jong Un and the state.[14] While a center for the disabled was built in Pyongyang under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, the facility primarily serves the children of the privileged class, who are taught to sing and dance to perform for visiting international audiences.[15]

Additionally, the government's collection of disability data through family doctors, while a step forward, lacks transparency and comprehensiveness.[16] Considering medical accessibility is centralized in the capital, most of the population, especially those in rural areas, are excluded from these statistics. This exclusion leads to an underrepresentation of the true extent of disabilities in the country.  These failures breach Article 2 of North Korea’s Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, which guarantees state protection and assistance.[17] Such systemic issues highlight the urgent need for more inclusive policies that ensure equitable access to services and protections for disabled individuals across the entire country.

Personal Stories of Hardship

These systemic issues are not just statistical; they translate into real-life hardships for individuals. The personal stories of escapees like Ji Seong-Ho provide a stark illustration of the dire consequences of North Korea’s neglect of its disabled population. In his desperate quest for coal to exchange for food in the black markets, Ji Seong-Ho lost his left hand and foot after passing out from starvation and being run over by a train.[18] This traumatic event left him permanently disabled and without proper medical care or governmental support. In his testimony, he vividly recalled the horror of his mother's screams and the excruciating 4.5-hour surgery performed without anesthetics.[19] Ji Seong-Ho’s story illustrates the extreme risks North Koreans endure to survive and the severe toll on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. However, his story did not end there, as his resilience and courage led him to participate in the 2018 U.S. State of the Union Address, where he later became a member of the ROK National Assembly and continued to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. 

Additionally, disabled people in North Korea are often confined to their homes, where they lack access to rehabilitation services or necessary mobility aids. Maeng Hyo-shim, another North Korean escapee, recounted how her mother, unable to walk, only had a pair of crutches and relied entirely on her father's support to survive.[20] Their family was forced to live in isolation from society, underscoring the severe lack of state support and societal inclusion. This isolation violates Article 19 of the CRPD, which guarantees the right to live independently and be included in the community.[21]

Harsh Living Conditions

These narratives are further corroborated by reports of inhumane conditions in prison camps, where disabled individuals face egregious abuse and neglect.[22] The systemic discrimination within these facilities reflects a broader pattern of mistreatment. Segregation is strictly enforced, with individuals separated based on their disabilities.[23] Reports of "death rooms," where sick and disabled prisoners are left without medical care, underscore the extreme neglect and abuse they endure.[24] These practices violate Article 16 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which mandates protection from all forms of exploitation, violence, and abuse.[25]

The situation for women and children with disabilities is particularly dire. Widespread reports of infanticide of newborns with disabilities, coupled with exclusion from education and healthcare for those who survive, uncover severe systemic discrimination.[26] High levels of malnutrition further exacerbate physical and cognitive disabilities, compounding the challenges faced by these individuals.[27] This exclusion directly contravenes Article 24 of the CRPD, which guarantees the right to education for all persons with disabilities.[28]

Moreover, defectors report that individuals with conditions like dwarfism and intellectual disabilities are particularly targeted for forced sterilization and isolation, often under the guise of medical treatments.[29] These practices not only breach international human rights standards, including the right to health and reproductive rights, but also constitute cruel treatment under Article 16 of the CRPD.[30] The systemic neglect and abuse faced by disabled individuals in North Korea reveal a broader pattern of human rights violations, necessitating urgent international attention and intervention.

Government Policies and International Perceptions

The severity of these conditions is often masked by the North Korean government’s propaganda, which portrays a misleading image of inclusivity and care for disabled individuals. This section explores how the regime’s policies are perceived internationally and the underlying reality.

Despite legislative efforts, such as the 2003 Disability Law and participation in the 2012 London Paralympics, North Korea's actions towards people with disabilities appear largely disingenuous.[31] The government frequently uses disabled individuals for propaganda, showcasing superficial improvements to gain international favor while systemic issues persist. For example, state media has released images of disabled athletes winning medals in shooting and table tennis at a sporting event for people with disabilities.[32] Yet, residents, including people with disabilities, are outraged by this false propaganda, as many disabled individuals lack access to essential items like artificial limbs.[33] This exploitation aims to garner international sympathy and support, but North Korea fails to provide the necessary resources or opportunities that should accompany such sympathy. These measures are perceived as attempts to mask severe human rights abuses rather than genuine efforts to improve the lives of disabled individuals. Consequently, the country’s image-centric policies fail to address the underlying issues of discrimination, abuse, and neglect.

Defector testimonies and international reports draw chilling parallels between North Korea’s treatment of disabled individuals and Nazi-era crimes.[34] Accounts of forced migration, selective abortion, sterilization, infanticide, and targeted killings paint a grim picture of a regime that systematically dehumanizes its disabled population.[35] Such comparisons underscore the severity of the human rights violations occurring under the guise of state propaganda. These disturbing practices reveal the stark contrast between North Korea's international portrayal and the harrowing reality faced by its disabled citizens, underscoring the urgent need for genuine reform and international intervention.

Conclusion

The human rights situation for persons with disabilities in North Korea is dire, characterized by systemic discrimination, segregation, and abuse. North Korea’s ratification of the CRPD contrasts sharply with the severe violations experienced by its disabled population, which emphasizes a need for urgent reform. The international community must hold North Korea accountable for these abuses and advocate for genuine reforms, such as increasing international monitoring, providing targeted humanitarian aid, and fostering dialogue for internal reforms. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”[36] It is imperative to uphold this principle and work towards a future where all individuals, including those with disabilities, live free from discrimination and abuse. The world cannot overlook the plight of disabled individuals in North Korea any longer; collective action and unwavering advocacy are crucial to securing their dignity and rights.
 
Bibliography
 
Hosaniak, Joanna. Status of Women's Rights in the Context of Socio-Economic Changes in the DPRK. Seoul: Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, 2013.

Kang, Hyok, and Philippe Grangereau. This is Paradise! My North Korean Childhood. London: Abacus, 2007.

Lord, Janet E. "Nothing to Celebrate: North Koreans with Disabilities." Foreign Policy in Focus 1, 2013.

Maeng, Hyo-shim. "Ask a North Korean: What Is North Korea Like for People with Disabilities?" NK News, April 18, 2024. https://www.nknews.org/2024/04/ask-a-north-korean-what-is-north-korea-like-for-people-with-disabilities/.

McCurry, Justin. "Living with Disability in North Korea: 'It's Like a Prisoner's Life'." The Guardian, December 30, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/30/-sp-living-with-disability-north-korea.

Mohammed Hossain. "Not Surviving, but Thriving: Indexing to the Cost of Living." Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy 30, no. 2, Winter 2023: 315-340.

Won, Jae-Chun, Janet E. Lord, Michael Ashley Stein, and Yosung Song. "Disability, Repressive Regimes, and Health Disparity: Assessing Country Conditions in North Korea." Hague Yearbook of International Law 27, 2014.

Radio Free Asia. "Disabled in North Korea Confined to Homes, Expelled From Capital." Radio Free Asia, June 13, 2007. Original reporting by Lee Aeran, Sung Woo Park, Naeri Kim, Changyoon Lee, Sookyung Lee, and Myeong Hwa Jang. RFA Korean service director: Jaehoon Ahn. Translated and researched by Greg Scarlatoiu. Written for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie and edited by Sarah Jackson-Han. https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/nkorea_disabled-20070613.html.

Son, Hyemin. "North Korea Uses Disabled People to Attract Foreign Aid: Report." Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2019. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nk-disabled-2019-12042019095625.html.

United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted on December 13, 2006, it entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515, p. 3. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities.
United Nations Human Rights Council. "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." A/HRC/25/63, General Assembly, Twenty-fifth session, Agenda item 4, February 7, 2014. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/25/63.

United Nations. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Her Visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). EasyRead version. Prepared by Inspired Services Publishing Ltd. December 2017. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities.

Valerie Johnson is a Master's student at Lund University in Sweden, focusing on human rights access, international development, and governance, with a special interest in East Asia. Her three years teaching in South Korea deepened her understanding of the inter-Korean relationship, inspiring her human rights research. Her work centers on sexual minorities, incarcerated youth, and disabled individuals in North Korea. As an intern at HRNK, she hopes to contribute to North Korean human rights research and become a researcher and advocate for marginalized voices in East Asia.


[1] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515, p. 3. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities.
[2] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). 2018. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/A.HRC.37.56.Add.1_easytoread.pdf.
[3] Mohammed Hossain, "Not Surviving, but Thriving: Indexing to the Cost of Living," Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy 30, no. 2 (Winter 2023): 315
[4] Jae-Chun Won; Janet E. Lord; Michael Ashley Stein; Yosung Song, "Disability,
Repressive Regimes, and Health Disparity: Assessing Country Conditions in North
Korea," Hague Yearbook of International Law 27 (2014) pg. 38
[5] Kang, H., and P. Grangereau. This is Paradise! My North Korean Childhood. London: Abacus, 2007.
[6] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). 2018. Pg. 17
[7] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 5
[8] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). 2018. Pg. 4
[9] Ibid. pg. 3
[10] Ibid. pg. 30
[11] Radio Free Asia. "Disabled in North Korea Confined to Homes, Expelled From Capital." Radio Free Asia, June 13, 2007
[12] Ibid.
[13] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). 2018. Pg. 40
[14] Son, Hyemin. "North Korea Uses Disabled People to Attract Foreign Aid: Report." Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2019. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nk-disabled-2019-12042019095625.html.
[15] Ibid.
[16] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/37/56/Add.1). 2018. Pg. 15
[17] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 2
[18] McCurry, Justin. "Living with Disability in North Korea: 'It's Like a Prisoner's Life'." The Guardian, December 30, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/30/-sp-living-with-disability-north-korea.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Maeng, Hyo-shim. "Ask a North Korean: What Is North Korea Like for People with Disabilities?" NK News, April 18, 2024. https://www.nknews.org/2024/04/ask-a-north-korean-what-is-north-korea-like-for-people-with-disabilities/
[21] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 19
[22] United Nations Human Rights Council. "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." A/HRC/25/63, General Assembly, Twenty-fifth session, Agenda item 4, February 7, 2014. Accessed [access date]. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/25/63
[23] Lord, Janet E. "Nothing to Celebrate: North Koreans with Disabilities." Foreign Policy in Focus 1 (2013) 
[24]Ibid. 
[25] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 16
[26] Hosaniak, J. Status of Women's Rights in the Context of Socio-Economic Changes in the DPRK. Seoul: Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, 2013.
[27] Lord, "Nothing to Celebrate: North Koreans with Disabilities,"
[28] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 24
[29] Jae-Chun Won; Janet E. Lord; Michael Ashley Stein; Yosung Song, "Disability,
Repressive Regimes, and Health Disparity: Assessing Country Conditions in North
Korea," Hague Yearbook of International Law 27 (2014) pg. 44
[30] United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Adopted December 13, 2006, entered into force on May 3, 2008. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 2515. Article 16
[31]Son, Hyemin. "North Korea Uses Disabled People to Attract Foreign Aid: Report." Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Radio Free Asia, December 4, 2019. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nk-disabled-2019-12042019095625.html.
[32] Son, Hyemin. "North Korea Uses Disabled People to Attract Foreign Aid: Report." Radio Free Asia, 2019
[33] Ibid.
[34] Lord, Janet E. "Nothing to Celebrate: North Koreans with Disabilities." Foreign Policy in Focus 1 (2013)
[35] United Nations Human Rights Council. "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." A/HRC/25/63
[36] Mohammed Hossain, "Not Surviving, but Thriving: Indexing to the Cost of Living," Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy 30, no. 2 (Winter 2023): 315