Imagine this: a woman who escaped North Korea, Choi Kyung, is now suing none other than Kim Jong Un himself! Yes, you read that right. After 13 years of living in South Korea, this brave woman is filing a lawsuit against the North Korean dictator and five other officials, accusing them of torture, sexual violence, and crimes against humanity. Choi is seeking 50 million won, about 37 million US dollars, in damages and demands that the South Korean court investigate these horrific allegations.
Her story is a nightmare. Choi was deported from China back to North Korea four times, where she spent five months in three different detention facilities in North Hamgyong province. There, she endured horrific torture: sexual assault during unhygienic body cavity searches, beatings until she lost consciousness, systematic torture, and being forced to hold painful positions for 15 hours a day. She even suffered a ruptured eardrum. These abuses left permanent scars on her body and soul, and she still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug dependency.
This lawsuit is historic because it is the first time someone who escaped North Korea has initiated legal proceedings against the regime in a South Korean court. The lawsuit heavily relies on a 2014 UN investigative commission report that found North Korea committed widespread crimes against humanity, including torture, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention in political prison camps estimated to hold between 80,000 and 120,000 people.
Previous lawsuits against North Korea mostly involved former war prisoners or families of South Koreans abducted during the Korean War. But this one goes much further — directly holding Kim Jong Un responsible as the person with command responsibility for systematic crimes against humanity. Will justice finally reach one of the most closed and brutal countries in the world? This is a question many will be watching closely.
If you think this is just another distant story, think again. This is a fight for human rights, dignity, and the voice of those silenced for decades. And if you have a comment or think this is too horrific to be true, feel free to drop a line — maybe together we can raise awareness about these horrors!
