1. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Tomas Ojea Quintana will visit the Republic of Korea from November 16 to 23, the first of its kind since his mandate began on August 1, 2016.

° The purpose of the Special Rapporteur’s visit to the ROK is to gather information necessary for writing his report to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly in 2017. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur will meet with officials of such government agencies as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Justice as well as North Korean defectors; and visit the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights.

° On November 22, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on the outcome of the visit.

2. Given that Special Rapporteur Quintana’s visit to the ROK will mark his first, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will meet with the Special Rapporteur on November 16, during which the Minister will express the ROK government’s willingness to strongly support the Special Rapporteur’s work and will discuss in depth with him the human rights situation in North Korea and ways to improve it.

3. The UNHRC group of independent experts to support the work on promoting accountability for human rights violations in North Korea will visit the ROK from November 21 to 25 for meetings with officials of such government agencies as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Justice.

° The group will seek ways to ensure accountability of those responsible for human rights violations in North Korea and include them in an annex to the report that Special Rapporteur Quintana will submit to the UNHRC in March 2017.


* unofficial translation