On this page, you will find:

To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Democratic People’s Republic of Korea LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Belarus country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Democratic People’s Republic of Korea COI page.  

Refugee protection

Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 

The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is not state party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol; however, it is either a state party or has ratified similar core treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). However, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is not often engage with treaty monitoring bodies or report to such bodies. 

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does not host any refugees according to UNHCR statistics, reflecting the nature of national legal frameworks which protect asylum seekers. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does, however, consider departures from the country without permission a serious claim. 

Legal aid organisations

We have not yet identified any NGO or law firm that offers refugees legal assistance in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
We would welcome suggestions for individuals or organisations. If you have any suggestions, please get in touch.

Organisations providing other support to refugees

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: Gonghwa Building 10F, 7-2 Chungjeong-ro 2-ga, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel/Fax: +82 27 23 16 72
Email: nkhr@naver.com

NKHR is a Seoul-based NGO that advocates for the human rights of the people of North Korea. NKHR campaigns domestically and internationally for improved human rights and provides assistance to North Korean refugees and those who have re-settled in South Korea. NKHR’s work for North Korean refugees includes advocating for better treatment of North Korean refugees in third countries, particularly China, where nearly all North Koreans refugees must pass through. NKHR also provides direct assistance to North Korean refugees who are in hiding in China.

Website
Address: Helping Hands Korea, KPO Box 677, Seoul, 110-110, Republic of Korea
Email: tapkorea@gmail.com

Helping Hands Korea (HHK) endeavors to support the most vulnerable sectors in North Korea (DPRK) society as well as those who have fled the DPRK and are living clandestinely as refugees living in China. In cases where North Korean refugees face imminent danger of forced repatriation, HHK facilitates the evacuation of refugees to safe third countries where their rights as refugees are respected. HHK provides food, clothing, medicines and nutritional supplements to those living at greatest risk within North Korea, including orphaned children, school children in impoverished areas, the handicapped, the elderly and single parents. HHK makes a special effort to lend practical assistance to those citizens whose right to religious freedom has been severely curtailed. The East Asia-based organisation also provides foster care and supplementary stipend aid for children in China who have become orphaned when their North Korean mothers, victims of human trafficking, experience life-threatening forcible repatriation from China to the DPRK.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea LGBTQI+ Resources

Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea COI

Find Democratic People's Republic of Korea Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents. 

We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.

Last updated June 2023