Overview

• On Friday, Choi Min-kyung filed a civil lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court and a criminal complaint at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office naming Kim Jong-un and four Ministry of State Security officials.
• Her legal action centers on allegations that she suffered sexual abuse, physical violence and torture in an Onsong County detention facility following her 2008 forced repatriation.
• This marks the first time a North Korea–born human rights survivor has targeted the country’s leader and security officials in South Korean courts.
• The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights filed the cases on Choi’s behalf and is preparing parallel submissions to United Nations human rights bodies and the International Criminal Court.
• Supporters acknowledge that any South Korean judgment would be symbolic without cooperation from Pyongyang but hope the case will catalyze wider international accountability efforts.