Seoul must act on forced repatriations
Forced repatriation of North Korean defectors poses a severe risk of a humanitarian catastrophe because they could be executed or die from torture
The South Korean government reiterated on Monday the need to send humanitarian aid to North Korea despite the increased sanctions on the regime for its increased nuclear tests.
Unification Ministry spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun said that aid shipments “should be continued regardless of the political situation”, reports Efe news.
Baik also said that a majority of the international community also maintains the same position with the Seoul government on the issue.
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The announcement came three days before South Korea is set to decide on the approval of the $8 million food aid scheme, which will be channelled through the UN agencies and will mainly go to women and children in North Korea.
South Korea’s conservative opposition has questioned the humanitarian assistance scheme to North Korea in the wake of the international community’s sanctions to curb Pyongyang’s weapons development programs.
Former President Park Geun-hye’s conservative administration had suspended humanitarian aid to the North following the regime’s fourth nuclear test in January 2016.
The South Korea’s aid scheme, if approved, will be the first humanitarian aid sent to Pyongyang through the UN since December 2015.
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