[NKDB Issue Brief] Introducing a Human Rights Paradigm: The Human Cost of North Korea's Support of the Russo-Ukrainian War (Unique Kim, Human Rights Analyst at NKDB)

 North Korea’s military deployment to the Russo-Ukrainian War has quickly become a global security alarm, prompting a series of United Nations Security Council meetings, the most recent of which was held on December 18. While much of the focus remains on the security risks, this issue brief highlights the human rights dimensions of this development. It situates North Korea’s recent troop deployment within the broader context of its longstanding military system and overseas labor operations, which NKDB’s past research reveals to be rife with exploitative practices and human rights violations. By introducing a human rights paradigm, the issue brief advocates for an international response to the North Korean soldiers that incorporates labor, human rights, and humanitarian law, along with the Security Council resolutions concerning peace and security.