[Editor’s note: The 4th Media has obtained the full (original) document of the Report from the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies. It seems this is the first-time ever the DPRK has ever come up with such a scale of somewhat academic report on the issue of human rights. The 4th Media believes it’d be worthwhile if we share with our global readers this report as a whole. Due to the length, we’re going to divide the whole document into several parts.
The extreme degree of demonization of DPRKorea which has been launched by US and its subservient cohorts around the world, but mostly, viciously and persistently by South Korea and Japan, one of the worst client states of the America Empire, has continued for over 60 years. Those three states have a common background however in their relationships with the DPRK: They are the ones who’ve repeatedly lost their war(s) to the North.
In other words they have repeatedly failed in their attempts to occupy the entire Korean peninsula by either ‘absorbing’ or ‘invading’ the North ever since they’ve lost the war in 1953. Ever since the US has lost the war militarily, i.e., signed the Armistice Agreement in July 27, 1953, they’ve instead chosen a war propaganda strategy by mobilizing the whole global media (i.e., their globally-monopolized mainstream media) to demonize(isolate) the North till this very day.
This ongoing demonization as war propaganda against “North Korea” has therefore made the world very difficult, if not impossible, ever to learn about this extremely (i.e., probably the worst in that sense) demonized nation on earth. Thus, as a result, in most cases, the world in general does not know about the DPRK at all.
The so-called ‘North Korea experts and scholars’ around the world in particular are not much different from the other great ordinary populations around the globe either. In many cases many of them are even more distorted or biased in their views of the “North Korea” than the ordinary populations. It’d mean they, too, are neither free from the ongoing US-led demonization of DPRK nor have ample opportunities to learn about the DPRK as it is.
The 4th Media believes this document might be able to provide our global readership a rare opportunity for them to dialogue with this very self-reliant, self-determined and most staunch anti-imperialist, socialist and very independent nation. Best wishes!]
Report from the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Human Rights Mechanisms in the DPRK
1) Review
─ Physical Geography
─ History
─ Guiding Ideology and Social System
2) Views and Stand of the DPRK on Human Rights
① Human Rights is Independent Rights.
② Popular Masses Enjoy Genuine Human Rights
③ Human Rights is State Sovereignty.
④ Basic Human Rights and its Standards.
─ Basic Human Rights.
─ Human Rights Standards
3) Development of Human rights Mechanism in the DPRK
(1) Foundation for the Establishment of Human Rights Mechanisms
(2) Establishment of Democratic Human Rights Mechanisms
(3) Democratic Human Rights Mechanisms in the Wartime
(4) Establishment of Socialist Human Rights Mechanisms
(5) Consolidation of the Socialist Human Rights Mechanisms
4) Human Rights Mechanisms in the DPRK
(1) Ensurance of Human Rights by the Constitution
(2) The System of Human Rights Laws
(3) Organs for the Protection & Promotion of Human Rights
(4) System of Human Rights Education and Dissemination
2. Enjoyment of Human Rights by the DPRK Citizens
1) Political Rights
(1) Right to Vote or to be Elected
(2) Freedom of Speech and Press
(3) Freedom of Assembly and Association
(4) The Right to Freely Participate in State Governing
(5) Freedom of Religion and Thought
2) Civil Rights
(1) Right to Life
(2) Right not to be subject to Torture
(3) Right not to be subject to Slavery
(4) Right to Personal Liberty and Security
(5) Right to Fair Trial
3) Socio-economic Rights
(1) Right to Work
(2) Right to Social Security
(3) Right to Adequate Standard of Living
4) Social and Cultural Rights
(1) Right to Education
(2) Right to Participate in Scientific & Cultural Activities
(3) Right to Health
5) Rights of Special Group
(1) Rights of Women
(2) Rights of the Child
(3) Rights of the Aged Persons
(4) Rights of the Persons with Disabilities
3. DPRK Position and its Efforts for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights at the International Level
1) Principled Stand of the DPRK on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights at the International Level
① Views on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights at the International Level
② Views and Principled Stand on International Human Rights Instruments
2) Faithful Implementation of the International Human rights conventions
① DPRK-acceded International Human Rights Instruments
② Implementation of the International Human Rights Instruments to which the DPRK is a Party
3) International Cooperation in the Field of Human rights
4. Main Obstacles to the Promotion of Human Rights in the DPRK
1) Hostile Policy of the United States and Its Attempts to Stifle the DPRK
(1) Hostile Policy of the United States
(2) War and Aggressive Manoeuvres
(3) Economic Sanctions
(4) Nuclear Issue
2) Anti-DPRK Human Rights Campaign by the US and its Followers
(1) Reactionary Nature of the Anti-DPRK Human Rights Campaign on Human
(2) The Criminal Moves by the US and its followers to internationalize “the DPRK Human Rights Issue”
5. Prospects for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in the DPRK
1) Policies and Measures for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights of the Korean People
2) Continued Efforts for Perfect Human Rights Legal Mechanisms
3) Safeguard of National Sovereignty & Creation of Peaceful Environment
Conclusion
Appendix
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Review of the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies
Preface
Recently, distorted views are floated by anti-DPRK hostile forces about the realities of the DPRK, especially its human rights situation, causing serious misunderstanding thereof.
The United States and its followers are pursuing persistent anti-DPRK human rights campaigns aimed at interfering in its internal affairs and eventually overthrowing the social system by fabricating “human rights issue” of the DPRK to mislead international opinions and raise it to the United Nations.
However, truth will always prevail and cannot be covered by whatever means.
The DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies, with a view to helping the international community have a correct understanding of the human rights situation in the DPRK, publishes this comprehensive and detailed report on the history of the Government’s efforts for protecting and promoting human rights, realities, obstacles to its efforts in ensuring human rights, and status of implementation of its international obligations.
This report has been prepared on the basis of studying and analysing a huge number of documentations such as official documents, human rights-related laws and publications of the DPRK, international human rights instruments, documents and data of international human rights organizations and the current situation of the country as well.
Contributions and views were solicited from State organs such as the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Supreme Court, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Education Commission and Ministry of Public Health, non-governmental organizations (social organizations) like the Korea Education Fund and Korean Federation for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities and professors and researchers at the institutions of legal education and studies including Law College of Kim Il Sung University and Legal Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences and many other individuals.
This report was published with consent to any insufficient and incomplete parts in its contents.
1. Human Rights Mechanisms in the DPRK
This part provides a summary of the geographical location, history, and social system of the DPRK, views and stand of the DPRK in respect of human rights and development of legal system of human rights protection, as well as the current situation of the country.
1) Review
─ Physical Geography
Korea is situated in the east of the Asian continent. It consists of the Korean peninsula and 3,452 islands around it, extending over a total area of 223,370 square kilometres.
The northern part of the Peninsula is bordered by China and Russia with Amrok River and Tuman River between two sides. The Korean Peninsula is surrounded by East Sea, West Sea and South Sea of Korea, faced with Japan in its East Coast.
With nearly 80% of its territory mountainous, it has high mountains, deep valleys, hilly areas and thick forests. The six famous mountains, namely, Mt. Paektu, Mt. Kumgang, Mt. Myohyang, Mt. Kuwol, Mt. Chilbo and Mt. Jiri are well known to the world.
There are rivers, lakes and springs in many different parts of the country, ranking it among those countries with plenty of water sources. Mineral water and hot springs numbering 179 are well known for their good quality.
Korea has four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter; each season has its distinctive characteristics and unique beauty.
Considering the size of its territory, Korea is rich in mineral resources. Hence, they say its area should be measured by cubic meters, not square meters.
In particular, Korea ranks among the leading countries in the world in terms of deposits of iron ores and magnesite. The area of limestone deposits, the main raw-material of cement, covers 25~35% of its land and coal deposits amount to billions of tons.
─ History
Korea is a land of Korean ancestors that lived there generation after generation from ancient times, and one of the origins of human culture where they created and succeeded their own Taedonggang Culture.
In the early 3,000 B.C., Tangun, the founding father of the Korean nation, opened a new era of civilization by founding Ancient Korea with Pyongyang as its centre, which was the first ancient state in the eastern Asia.
Koreans, a homogeneous nation with the same blood, language and culture, lived in one land from ancient times. They are a resourceful nation that created material and cultural wealth through their creative activities.
Koreans were the first in the world to invent iron-clad warship, metal types and astronomical observatory. Numerous historic sites and relics including Koguryo tomb murals and historic relics in Kaesong were registered as the world cultural heritages.
In modern times, Korea was turned into the arena of competition between big powers, finally suffering the disgrace of being occupied by the Japanese aggressors in early 20th century.
Under the leadership of the Great President Kim Il Sung, Korean people waged a 20-year long anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle to liberate the country on August 15, 1945.
On Sep. 9, 1948, they formed a genuine people’s government for the first time in the national history by founding the DPRK that represents the interest of the entire Korean nation.
The US imperialists occupied the southern part of Korea after the World War II under the pretext of “liberating” it and invaded the northern part of Korea on June 25, 1950 to eliminate the country in its infancy. However, the Korean people performed a world-startling heroic feat by defeating the US who boasted of being “the strongest” in the world.
Korea was first divided into the north and the south after the liberation from the Japanese military occupation with the 38th parallel of the north latitude as a border and then after the Korean War by the military demarcation line drawn in accordance with the Korean Armistice Agreement.
Upholding the banner of independence and self-reliance, Korean people successfully carried out the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution, post-war reconstruction and socialist construction, and established in 1958 the first socialist system in the East.
After the establishment of the socialist system, the DPRK strengthened the political foundation of the country by dynamically carrying out the three revolutions of ideology, technology and culture and laid firm foundations of the independent national economy by carrying out the historical task of industrialization in a short span of 14 years.
In the DPRK, great efforts were exerted to raising people’s living and cultural standards, thus resulting in a great advance in basically meeting their needs for food, clothing, housing, education, cultural activities and health care. Taxation was abolished and systems of universal free medical care and free education have been put in place.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s when many countries were undergoing great political turmoil due to the collapse of the socialist system and the return of the capitalist system, the DPRK continued to maintain its socialist system and worked hard to safeguard its ideology and system and provide people with happy life.
The DPRK strengthened its defence capabilities by virtue of the Songun politics, successfully went through the Arduous March and Forced March and laid firm foundations on the basis of which the building of a prosperous and powerful country could be dynamically pushed forward.
The 60-year long history of the DPRK is a history of self-reliance in which Korean people established and strengthened the people-centred socialist system under the wise leadership of the great President Kim Il Sung and the great leader Kim Jong Il.
If the DPRK had yielded to unprecedented trials and difficulties and depended on others or given up the principle of self-reliance in the face of the pressure of outside forces, the socialist system centred on popular masses could not have been safeguarded and its identity would have disappeared with the collapse of world socialist system.
─ Guiding Ideology and Social System
The guiding ideology of the DPRK is the Juche idea.
In a nutshell, the Juche idea means that man is the master of everything and decides everything. In other words, it means that man is responsible for his own destiny and also has the capacity to shape his destiny.
The Juche idea is the most scientific and revolutionary guiding ideology as it guarantees, through adherence to the principles of independence, self-reliance and self-defence in the activities of the State, the status of the people as the masters of the revolution and construction in the political, material and military fields, realizes the independence of the people in all aspects of social life and advances the revolution and construction to victory.
All the achievements made by the Korean people in their efforts to build and strengthen the socialist system represent the triumph of the line and policies of the DPRK guided by the Juche idea and vivid manifestation of superiority and stability of the government of the DPRK.
The Juche idea is the ideology of believing in people as in heaven. Take full responsibility for and protect people’s future and spare nothing for the promotion of their welfare – this is a political doctrine and principle of activities of the DPRK Government.
The Government of the DPRK guided by the Juche idea is carrying out its responsibility and mission as a representative of people’s independent rights, organizer of their creative abilities and activities, householder responsible for their living conditions and protector of their independent and creative life.
The social system of the DPRK which has embodied the Juche idea is a people-centred social system in which people are the masters of everything and everything serves them.
Its political system is popular as it makes people masters of state governing, serves them and bestows upon them priceless political integrity.
Its economic system ensures people an independent and creative working life, as well as affluent and civilized living standard. Its cultural system enables people to create and fully enjoy socialist culture.
All the lines and policies adopted and implemented in the DPRK, a people-centred social system are directly related to ensuring people’s independent rights, with top priority given to their interests and convenience.
Under such social system, the Korean people enjoy a worthwhile and happy life without any social and political uncertainty, and beautiful traits of helping each other and sharing joys and sorrows under the slogan of “one for all and all for one” are witnessed in various social life.
The Korean People are convinced that their state and social system based on the Juche idea are the most superior and popular one as it guarantees them genuine freedom and rights and place absolute trust in it, making devoted efforts to further consolidate and develop it under the wise leadership of the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un.
(Continues in Part II)
DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies in Pyongyang