The National Human Rights Commission of Korea and North Korean Human Rights: A Law and Policy Analysis

This essay analyzes the appropriate role of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in addressing North Korean human rights issues. It first addresses the legal question of whether the commission is permitted to document and raise awareness of North Korean human rights as a matter of both international law as well as domestic legal authorization. Then, the essay more broadly analyzes whether the commission is an appropriate body to engage North Korean human rights from a policy perspective, especially when compared with other potential loci for dealing with North Korean rights issues. It concludes that there is no legal barrier to the commission documenting and raising awareness of North Korean human rights, and, in certain respects, it is well suited to do so, although doing so would present certain dangers