Statement by the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea
On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
- Extending solidarity with victims’ families and calling for redress-
- Urging prompt legislation for the domestic implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance -
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho, hereinafter “NHRCK”) issues the following statement to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, August 30, 2025, designated by the United Nations in 2010 to prevent enforced disappearances and to protect the rights of victims. On this occasion, the NHRCK expresses deep sympathy and solidarity with victims and their families around the world who continue to suffer from enforced disappearance, and calls for swift redress and the realization of justice.
□ Enforced disappearance is not merely a violation of an individual’s liberty, but a grave human rights violation that devastates entire families and communities. Victims are left to endure prolonged suffering, often without even confirmation of life or death, while families are denied the right to know the truth and to mourn.
□ The international community, through the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (hereinafter “the Convention”), which entered into force in 2010, defines enforced disappearance as a “crime by the State” and emphasizes States’ obligations to prevent such crimes and provide redress to victims. Yet, enforced disappearances continue to occur in many parts of the world under the pretext of conflict or political repression.
□ The Republic of Korea ratified the Convention in 2022, and it entered into force domestically in 2023. As a State Party, Korea is obliged to establish legislation and institutional mechanisms to prevent and punish enforced disappearance and to provide redress for victims, while also engaging actively in international cooperation to address this issue. Although two bills to implement the Convention were introduced in the 21st National Assembly, they lapsed with the end of its term. Two new bills have since been reintroduced in the 22nd National Assembly.
○ On July 2, 2025, the NHRCK submitted its opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly, stressing that enforced disappearance constitutes a crime against humanity and a violation of victims’ and families’ inherent dignity and value. The Commission urged the State to adopt legislation without delay to prevent enforced disappearance, uncover the truth, support victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.
□ Enforced disappearance is not simply a matter of a person “going missing”; it is an ongoing human rights violation until the fate of the disappeared is clarified. It infringes upon the rights to life and liberty of the disappeared, and inflicts profound anxiety, suffering, social stigma, and disruption of daily life on their families.
○ Moreover, enforced disappearances typically occur through arbitrary detention without official record, with the involvement of State institutions or those acting with State authority. This perpetuates systemic impunity, in which the truth is concealed and perpetrators evade accountability, thereby prolonging victims’ suffering. Families often endure emotional, financial, and legal hardships, with wounds left unhealed.
□ In particular, given the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Korea has a special responsibility to protect the rights of victims and their families. It is imperative to align domestic systems with the Convention and to enact implementing legislation without delay, so as to investigate cases of enforced disappearance, including the abduction of civilians during and after the Korean War, prisoners of war, South Koreans detained in North Korea, and cases of illegal international adoption. The State must ensure remedies for victims, accountability for perpetrators, and effective safeguards against recurrence.
□ The NHRCK will continue to raise awareness domestically and internationally of the grave human rights violations caused by enforced disappearance and will work to ensure that the voices of victims and their families are respected. On this International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the NHRCK once again urges the Korean government to intensify its efforts toward the complete eradication of enforced disappearance and extends its deepest solidarity and condolences to victims and their families.
August 28, 2025
Ahn Chang-ho
Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
