The government made public its report on North Korea’s human rights violations on Thursday.

It is the first time that the government has made public its annual report on the North’s dismal human rights record since it began drafting a report under the North Korean Human Rights Act.

The Unification Ministry is said to have prepared a report on North Korea’s human rights violations annually from 2017, a year after the act was passed and when the Moon Jae-in administration began. But the Moon government did not make the report public in the interest of appeasing the regime in Pyongyang in order to set up inter-Korean events.

Moon loyalists advocated for human rights in word, but they were silent about horrible violations of human rights in North Korea. Rather, they gave favorable comments about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, such as that he was “considerate,” “frank and bold.” They were double-faced about human rights.

It is a well-known fact that North Korean residents are not treated like human beings. Many are starving to death, while Kim is absorbed in developing nuclear weapons to attack South Korea. Nonetheless, some people in South Korea follow or revere North Korea, or even spy for the North. It is difficult to understand what purposes they pursue by supporting the regime, which sacrifices human rights. They seem to keep their eyes closed to the truth about North Korea. They should open their eyes to the North’s terrible human rights abuses.

According to the report, the North Korean regime has executed people in a widespread manner. Pyongyang even applied the death penalty for participation in activities that include watching and spreading videos produced in South Korea as well as religious and superstition-related activities.

Public and summary executions have been frequently carried out in North Korea. A pregnant woman was publicly executed due to the spread of footage in 2017 in which she was dancing while pointing her finger at a portrait of the country's late founder, Kim Il-sung. In 2015, six adolescents aged 16-17 were executed by firing squad in Wonsan as they watched South Korean videos and used opium.

The North has reportedly even conducted medical experiments on the bodies of people with psychological problems without their consent. There is likely no other place in the world where human rights are suppressed more severely than this.

The 450-page report is based on around 1,600 human rights violation cases testified by 508 North Korean defectors between 2017 and 2022.

The public disclosure of the report should be an occasion to launch the North Korea Human Rights Foundation as soon as possible. It has not been established yet due to opposition by the Democratic Party of Korea.

The ruling People Power Party and the government have already recommended five and two members of the foundation board, respectively, but the Democratic Party has not recommended its share of board members. Human rights are a universal value. When it comes to human rights, rival parties must take united action. The opposition party must recommend five board members quickly. It is an obvious duty for a political party that takes pride in prioritizing human rights.

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration must accelerate diplomatic efforts to improve human rights in North Korea according to the purposes of the North Korean Human Rights Act. The act sets guidelines for the protection and advancement of human rights for current and former North Koreans.

It was passed by the South Korean National Assembly in March 2016, inspired by the first report on North Korea human rights, published by the Commission of Inquiry of the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2014. The UN council established the commission on March 21, 2013 to investigate systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights in North Korea.

Making public a report once will not lead immediately to the improvement of human rights in North Korea, but the government must continue to publicize the North's terrible human rights record at home and abroad in solidarity with the international community. It is a core part of national security to publicize the truth about North Korea.