NK Human Rights, a New Driving Force for Progressive South Korean Student Movement

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While North Korean human rights is becoming more a social issue in South Korea, the international conference on North Korean human rights to be held in December 8 is calling for much attention. Many human rights NGOs from around the world and the university students in South Korea and abroad are expected to participate in the coming conference.

After the North Korean Human Rights International Conference Preparatory Committee was formed in October 24th, the North Korean Human Rights International Conference University Student Preparatory Committee will start in function on November 3.

Awareness on the North Korean human rights problem had been increasing among the student movement areas, but with the coming conference, it is foreseen to become a common factor for student movement among the different student groups. Especially the “North Korean Human Rights University Student International Conference” is expected gather domestic university student organizations and groups, defectors university student groups, and Korean American university student human rights organization at one place, in Seoul.

The Students’ Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea is the key player that had been a network hub for the university organizations around the world. This organization was established by the South Korean university students who had interest in North Korean human rights across South Korea. For the past two years, it held a number of awareness increasing events such as bike march, concerts, and visits to the Ministry of Unification urging for North Korean human rights. Furthermore, it put much effort to increase awareness within university campuses, by holding North Korean human rights exhibitions, conferences, seminars and setting the special week for North Korean human rights.

A Number of Korean American University Students Participate

”Liberation in North Korea” is a North Korean human rights student organization formed by the second generations of Korean descendent American university students, in attempt to increase awareness on North Korean human rights inside the United States. South Korean university students such as of Ewha University’s organization “Hello NK” held North Korean human rights awareness increasing events, exhibitions, seminars through the student government organizations during the university festival period.

The conferment has added significance due to the promised participation of Unification Bridgehead and College Students’ Coalition for Preparation of Unification, the defector university student organizations. Other South Korean university groups such as from Myungji University, Wonkwang University, Handong University and many others will be participation in the conference.

The named university groups had been meeting consistently for North Korean human rights activities. Together, they gave out “University Student North Korean Human Rights Declaration” on August 15.

Although a number of South Korean universities have raised North Korean human rights issue occasionally but their effort seemed insignificant to fight against the pro-North Korea/anti-US sentiment prevailing in South Korea. Furthermore, the student government associations of the universities had difficult time adopting North Korean human rights issue as the student agenda for their main concern was to be student rights and benefits within the campuses.

A Motivation for Change in the Student Movement

Kim Ik Hwan, the chair commissioner of the North Korean Human Rights International Conference University Student Preparatory Committee says, “This is the first time university students gather for the sole purpose of North Korean human rights and together participate at an international conference. North Korean human rights must become a new paradigm for the student movement.”

“North Korean Human Rights University Student International Conference will be an important event that will evaluate overall university students’ activities on North Korean human rights,” says Kim. “It will also work as a catalyst to encourage and boost the organizations and university students to involve more actively in the matter of North Korean human rights.”