Press releases Special Procedures

UN expert on human rights in DPRK to visit South Korea

23 June 2022

Non-official UN languages: Korean version (PDF)

GENEVA (23 June 2022) – The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Tomás Ojea Quintana, will conduct an official visit to South Korea from 27 to 29 June.

During his visit, Ojea Quintana will meet South Korean Government officials, civil society organizations, victims and their families, and members of the diplomatic community among others.

The visit will be his eighth to the Republic of Korea since his appointment by the Human Rights Council in March 2016.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a Q&A session with the media on Wednesday, 29 June, from 8 AM to 9 AM (local time) at the OHCHR Seoul, Seoul Global Center 8th floor (38 Jongro, Jongro-gu). Access to this meeting will be strictly limited to journalists. 

Ojea Quintana’s term as Special Rapporteur will end in July 2022.

ENDS

Mr. Tomás OJEA QUINTANA (Argentina) was designated as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016. Mr. Ojea Quintana is a lawyer from Argentina working in the field of criminal law, human rights and public interest, representing NGOs and other groups in different cases. He is currently the attorney of a universal jurisdiction case on the abuses against Rohingyas.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page: DPRK 

OHCHR Seoul Office 

For more information and media requests please contact:
Ms. Madoka Saji (+82 10 4230 3523) or write to madoka.saji@un.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Renato de Souza (+41 22 928 9855 / (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org ) or Dharisha Indraguptha (+41 79 506 1088 / dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.

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