UN Experts Condemn Forced Repatriation of North Koreans from China
United Nations experts urged China to halt forced deportations of North Koreans and demanded the DPRK disclose the fate of repatriated nationals.
A group of 18 United Nations human rights experts issued statements on October 21 and 22, 2026, expressing serious concern over the forced repatriation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nationals from China. The experts warned that large-scale repatriations resumed in 2023, leaving many individuals unaccounted for and vulnerable to torture, execution, forced labor, and enforced disappearance.
The monitors accused the government of China of violating the principle of non-refoulement by returning individuals to situations where they face severe punishment. They highlighted the case of Kim Cheol-ok, a trafficking victim who lived in China for 25 years before her forced return in October 2023; the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled her detention by both China and the DPRK as arbitrary.
Special Rapporteur Elizabeth Salmón and members of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances urged Chinese authorities to implement fair protection assessments and halt further deportations. Simultaneously, the experts called on the government of North Korea to disclose the whereabouts and treatment of returnees, noting a critical lack of independent monitoring and adequate safeguards to protect those repatriated.
