Oh Jung-hee, in her 40s and one of more than 60 North Koreans interviewed by Human Rights Watch, was frequently asked by market guards and police officers to come to an empty room or other places where she was raped several times, according to the report.

“They consider us (sex) toys. We are at the mercy of men,” Oh, who defected from North Korea in 2014, said in the report.

The problem also arises from a lack of sex education and low awareness of sexual violence in North Korea.

“I realized things that happened (in North Korea) might have constituted sexual violence and harassment, or rape after I left North Korea,” said Lee So-yeon, head of the New Korea Women’s Union, at a press conference Thursday in central Seoul. 
 

The revelations come amid efforts by South Korea and the US to lead North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programs.

In engaging North Korea in denuclearization talks, Seoul and Washington should bring up the issue of North Korea’s human rights, said Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch’s executive director.

“Human rights have to be part of denuclearization efforts,” he said at the press conference.

North Korea typically reacts angrily when countries or human rights organizations raise concerns about its human rights abuses, viewing it as a challenge to the regime’s authority. 

Seoul and Washington say it is time to focus their efforts on striking a nuclear deal with North Korea, though they take the human rights issue seriously.

“The reason that President Moon Jae-in is not bringing up human rights abuses like rape is because he chooses not to. This is not dictated by a political reality. He could do both,” he said.

Moon, a former human rights lawyer, has been seen as reluctant to confront North Korea about the isolated country’s human rights situation. The Moon administration believes the international community should lead North Korea to open up to the outside world for human rights there to fundamentally improve.

Meanwhile, a new resolution led by the European Union and Japan condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses was submitted to the United Nations’ Third Committee on Wednesday. If the resolution passes, it will be put to a vote at the UN General Assembly next month.

South Korea has expressed support for the resolution.

“We believe a development in inter-Korean relations and an establishment of peace could have a positive impact on practically promoting human rights of North Korean residents,” said Kim Deuk-hwan, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson, at a regular briefing Thursday.

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)