Public Hearing for the Promotion of North Korean People's Right to Access Information
The National Human Rights Commission and Korea Communications Agency held a public hearing for the 'Promotion of North Korean People's Right to Access Information' on February 23, 2011.
The ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)’ that North Korea joined requires the free acquisition and distribution of information and the freedom of expression. The NHRCK recommended related Ministers including the Minister of Unification to give efforts to guarantee North Korean people's right to freely access information in December 2010.
In this public hearing, participants discussed the legal basis and technical methods for expanding North Korean people's right to access information. North Korean defecters joined the hearing to explain how North Korean people access information and how information is circulated in North Korea and experts in the field discussed detailed action plans. Also, Yu-Sik Kim, CEO of DCINSIDE (internet community site) participated in the hearing and made suggestions in relation to the expansion of information access through SNS (social network service) such as Twitter and Facebook.
