Executive Summary
The DPRK cites a “well-organized national system to consider and discuss the complaints and petitions submitted by persons with disabilities”. However, information reported through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and CRPD mechanisms contradicts the lived reality of persons with disabilities in the DPRK. Key gaps and issues identified in this submission include:
(1) Freedom from exploitation and abuse (CRPD Art. 16): Contrary to state claims of no abuse, testimonies show persons with disabilities face violence, mistreatment, and social exclusion.
(2) Inclusive education (Art. 24): Despite some initiatives, many children with disabilities in the DPRK lack equal access to quality education.
(3) Healthcare and rehabilitation (Art. 25): Persons with disabilities experience barriers in receiving adequate medical care and assistive services.
(4) Standard of living and social protection (Art. 28): Disabled individuals are among the most vulnerable, often living impoverished with minimal social support. PSCORE’s submission provides documented evidence for each of these areas and includes personal testimonies illustrating the realities behind DPRK’s official policies.
In conclusion, PSCORE offers targeted recommendations for the Committee’s consideration to better protect the rights of persons with disabilities in the DPRK.
Table of Contents
Introduction to People for Successful COrean REunification (PSCORE)
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
1. Methodology
2. Background on the Initial Report of the DPRK (2018)
3. Infringements on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
3.1. Freedom from Exploitation, Violence, and Abuse (Article 16)
3.1.1. Preventive measures against violent ideas and behaviors
3.1.2. Working conditions
3.1.3. Gender-based aspects of violence
3.2. Education (Article 24)
3.2.1. Sense of dignity and respect for human diversity
3.2.2. Opportunity for mental and physical development
3.3. Health (Article 25)
3.3.1. Financial Burden of Healthcare
3.3.2. Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
3.4. Adequate Standard of Living and Social Protection (Article 28)
3.4.1. Social advancement
3.4.2. Adequate housing
4. Recommendations to the DPRK
Methodology
The Background on the Initial Report of the DPRK integrates its most recent policies, which reflect the DPRK’s latest developments regarding the rights of persons with disabilities. Special attention is given to the implementation of national human rights institutions and norms. Violations of the CRPD are suggested through United Nations treaty compliance mechanisms and testimonial data from DPRK defectors, including those with disabilities. PSCORE conducted interviews with recent DPRK defectors and those with disabilities in order to clearly understand the country’s current situation. Some of these interviews were conducted in coordination with Sunny Pictures, a DPRK defector-led organization focused on increasing awareness for persons with disabilities. The recommendations in this submission reflect direct concerns from DPRK defectors regarding the lack of support from the DPRK government. PSCORE aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the actual situation of persons with disabilities and their rights in the DPRK.
Background on the Initial Report of the DPRK (2018)
The DPRK ratified the Convention on Rights for Persons with Disabilities on the 23rd of November 2016. The Initial Report of the DPRK was submitted to the Committee on Rights for Persons with Disabilities on the 19th of December 2018. The report contained population statistics regarding persons with disabilities collected from two surveys in 2014 and 2017. These survey reports presented that 6.2% of the DPRK’s population has a documented disability, according to parameters cited in article 2 of the Law on the Protection of the Persons with Disabilities (LPPD) of 2005. Following this submission, Information from Civil Society Organization reports were submitted throughout 2022. As a result, the DPRK amended the LPPD to the Law on Protection and Promotion of the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities on the 27th of September 2023. Presenting the implementation of this new legislation, the DPRK replied to the list of issues submitted to the Convention on the 18th of March 2024. The DPRK cites a “well-organized national system to consider and discuss the complaints and petitions submitted by persons with disabilities”. However, the DPRK has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention. Lastly, the DPRK refused recommendation 130.143 in the 2024 Universal Periodic Review cycle. This recommendation was included to “enhance education and address malnutrition for marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities”. This refusal contradicts Article 25 on Health and Article 28 on Adequate standard of living and social protection of the CRPD.
Infringements on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Freedom from Exploitation, Violence, and Abuse (Article 16)
The DPRK reports that there has been no such degrading treatment of persons with disabilities nor intentional violations of their rights (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.84, 92.). However, testimonials from DPRK defectors with disabilities clearly prove continued mistreatment that hinders social participation and equality.
Preventive measures against violent ideas and behaviors
DPRK defectors testify that there is a persistent lack of social awareness, leading to increased cases of exploitation, violence, and abuse against persons with disabilities that are observed both within and outside the home.
“People with disabilities in North Korea are not protected as humans and do not live in equal conditions.” (Testimony of Ji Seong-ho, who defected in 2006. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
Verbal abuse and the use of derogatory language remain a pervasive and socially tolerated form of violence that one defector describes as “a daily occurrence” (Testimony by a woman around 50 years old, who defected in 1995. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2023). Such language perpetuates the dehumanization of persons with disabilities.
“Since all the adults talk like that, while growing up, children think it must be a good word. Sometimes, a child and their parent would be standing in front of my house and say things like, “Mom, is this the house of the ‘byeongshin’ [engl. retard]?” or “Mom, you said we were going to the byeongshin’s house, is this the house?” (Testimony by a woman around 60 years old, who defected in 2019. Interview conducted by PSCORE in November 2023)
The DPRK replied that training courses are organized to increase awareness of the UN CRPD articles and standards for law enforcement officials (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.74). However, government-sanctioned mechanisms such as forced relocations have been reported as widespread for persons with disabilities.
“My aunt and uncle said that [the DPRK government] didn’t want dwarfism to spread in Pyongyang, but the problem was that it spread through marriage, children, and genetics. Genetically, since there can’t be more dwarfism, they said that people who have this condition should just live with each other, so they placed them all in this area in Hoichang County. When you go to Pyongyang, there are no people with disabilities.” (Testimony of Jang Jong-won, who defected in 2002. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
One individual who defected from the DPRK in 2023 confirmed the continued existence of a designated county where a large number of persons with dwarfism had been forcibly relocated, indicating ongoing practices of segregation based on disability.
“I saw a village in Geumya County, Hamgyongnam-do Province, where about 200-300 people with dwarfism live together.” (Testimony by a man around 40 years old, who defected in 2024. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
One defector reports experiencing violence through repatriation, torture, and extensive mistreatment by prison guards.
“The treatment of disabled people was initially bad, but after the famine, the element of starvation made circumstances even worse. That’s why disabled people inevitably died, and we see this kind of reality. For me, I used crutches and went to China to acquire food, but I got arrested and tortured when I got back to North Korea. They even said that ‘this crippled one is still living,’ and because of this, they tormented me for humiliating the nation.” (Testimony of Ji Seong-ho, who defected in 2006. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
Working conditions
The DPRK states that persons with disabilities are assigned to a production scale that is comparatively smaller. They take part in productive labor for 4 to 5 hours a day (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.195). However, one defector reports overwork and exploitation for persons with disabilities in some fields of work.
“If people didn’t complete their assigned amount of work, people would scold them saying: ‘You eat the same and live the same, but why can’t you complete your work? You still need to finish your assigned duties.’ They told them to finish the work even if it meant they needed to work through the night.” (Testimony of Jang Geum-hee, who defected in 2018. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
In addition, one defector raised concerns about systemic inequalities associated with dolgyeokdae (military or civilian labor brigades mobilized for large-scale construction or economic projects, often linked to state-led mass mobilization campaigns). While individuals who become disabled through formal military service may be granted honorary veteran status, those injured or disabled during dolgyeokdae assignments are excluded from such benefits associated with this status.
“While I was at the hospital to try to fix my leg, someone who had fallen from a high place while working [in dolgyeokdae] came in (…). What he did wasn’t personal work. Dolgyeokdae means he was forced to work for the country, just like honorary veterans. But when a soldier gets injured, they’re recognized as an honorary veteran and receive state benefits. He didn’t get anything.” (Testimony of Lee Mi-young, who defected in 2019. Interview conducted by PSCORE in May 2025)
Gender-based aspects of violence
Women and girls with disabilities continue to report abuse such as domestic violence and repeated sexual assault. Testimonials reveal that enduring long-term abuse within marriages is especially common for women with disabilities. One defector reports experiences of abuse in her marriage as a woman with polio.
“They treat us almost like living with us in itself is an immense act of grace, and they often use violence. I am expected to work all day to purchase rice, but I also need to bring home alcohol for my husband. If I don’t buy him alcohol, I get beaten.” (Testimony of Jang Geum-hee, who defected in 2018. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
She also reported the identical experience of abuse in marriage between another woman with polio and her husband.
“Her husband was healthy and able-bodied, but he beat her if she didn’t buy him alcohol, as if it was her fault. He hit her as he held her upside down by her legs. I asked him why he beat her so much, and he said she should be thankful that he was living with a ‘crippled’ person like her.” (Testimony of Jang Geum-hee, who defected in 2018. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
In the case of both domestic violence and rape, defectors report feeling trapped in their abuse due to the lack of resources to increase awareness of their own human rights. One defector testifies her long-term struggle with sexual violence and lack of resources that led to struggles in her family. She remembers being bullied by her classmates at a young age. Once she became older, she constantly fell pregnant. She reports that there was no one for her to reach out to or any resources suggesting that she may have human rights as a person with disabilities (Testimony of Park A-ri, around 30 years old, who defected in 2019. Interview conducted by PSCORE in October 2023).
Furthermore, reports on human rights in the DPRK indicate occurrences of infanticide and forced sterilization for persons with disabilities (Oh et al. (2021). White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea. Korea Institute for National Unification. pp.510-522.). One DPRK defector recounts her experiences becoming pregnant.
“My parents told me that if I get pregnant, I could die, so I should go to the hospital and get rid of the baby. But if they said it’s not possible to get rid of the baby, I’ll have to keep it.” (Testimony by a woman around 40 years old. Interview conducted in November 2023)
This contradicts the DPRK’s claim that video clips and explanatory writings on the harmfulness of such activities are used for educating the general public about violence against women and girls with disabilities (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.96).
Education (Article 24)
In December 2024 the DPRK announced its plans to invest in a new educational support system for persons with disabilities, starting in 2025. However, Article 24 has yet to be meaningfully implemented.
Sense of dignity and respect for human diversity
While the DPRK has amended legal language to reflect greater inclusion for multiple categories of disability, measures to prevent humiliation and harassment are not implemented in social settings. Reports from DPRK defectors show that people ignore the struggles persons with disabilities face starting at a young age.
“There were a lot of people with disabilities that were short, so everyone just thought that they were young. This led to many people talking down to them.” (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
According to a survey report by Sunny Pictures (2023), 87.1% of adult defectors had never heard of government policies for persons with disabilities (“Disability Perception Report: Insights from 94 Cases on How North Korean Residents Perceive Persons with Disabilities”. Sunny Pictures. (2023))
“I never received a disability classification in North Korea. I never heard about a law for the protection of persons with disabilities. The only medical appraisal document that I received from the hospital stated ‘This person has a deficiency that doesn’t allow them to work.’” (Testimony by a woman around 60 years old, who defected in 2019. Interview conducted by PSCORE in November 2023)
There is no recognition for persons with disabilities in schools. Specifically, children with disabilities face higher rates of discrimination and fear attending school because of bullying.
“I was an outcast. They were making fun of me, calling me ‘cripple, cripple’. I always started crying when hearing those words and would stay in the classroom all alone cleaning up, when everyone went to the gym class. I remember how I was crying all alone because I was envious of my classmates who could go outside and do sports.” (Testimony of Jang Geum-hee, who defected in 2018. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
Opportunity for mental and physical development
The Initial Report of the DPRK and the Korean Federation for Persons with Disabilities’ Huimang news website indicate various education and rehabilitation systems for children with disabilities. However, DPRK defectors testify that these education and rehabilitation centers for children with disabilities have limited capacity and are not well run.
“There are schools for children with disabilities in Pyongyang, but the conditions are so bad that many try to escape them…They are run just enough to keep the children alive.” (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
Additionally, the DPRK reports offering vocational technical programs for persons with disabilities. However, these programs are reported to operate with very limited capacity and fail to facilitate consistent opportunities to take the university entrance exam. One DPRK defector was admittedly skeptical of the opportunities for persons with disabilities if they were to graduate from university.
“There’s no reason [disabled people] should go to university. If they don’t have an opportunity to use new skills or make actual advancements after they graduate, what’s the point?” (Testimony by a man around 40 years old, who defected in 2024. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
Challenges related to the capacity and development of schools underscore both the structural and technical barriers in education faced by persons with disabilities.
Health (Article 25)
The DPRK has failed to adequately fulfill access to healthcare in their current healthcare system. As a result, numerous health conditions have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Financial Burden of Healthcare
The DPRK does not provide adequate health and rehabilitation services as stipulated by its laws and Socialist Constitution. This includes medical treatment for persons with disabilities.
“I was sent to Pyongyang for treatment but I ended up being untreatable within North Korea. It was impossible to move freely to receive treatment abroad (…). The longer we waited [for treatment within North Korea], the harder it would be to cure my condition.” (Testimony of Kang Kook-cheol, who defected in 2017. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
The survey report by Sunny Pictures (2023) states that many persons with disabilities live without assistive devices because they are expensive and difficult to purchase. This makes it impossible to live a normal life as a person with disabilities requiring mobility aids (“Disability Perception Report: Insights from 94 Cases on How North Korean Residents Perceive Persons with Disabilities”. Sunny Pictures. (2023)). Additionally, medical treatments such as surgery are too expensive for the average person.
“There’s no way for many persons with disabilities to receive treatment, so they end up cutting off their arms or other injured parts of their bodies.” (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
It is reported that the government has never increased its attention to the needs of persons with disabilities. This includes both their living conditions and measures to promote social awareness (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic expose gaps in the healthcare system, but it had a direct impact on the livelihood of persons with disabilities who could not access medical treatment. One DPRK defector reports that the escalation in conflict during the pandemic led to an increase in the number of persons with disabilities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything and made conditions worse for persons with disabilities. There was an increase in killings and injuries that resulted in a lot of body deformities.” (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
Adequate Standard of Living and Social Protection (Article 28)
The DPRK recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living and continuous improvement of their living conditions. However, communities with disabilities are especially impacted by the lack of effective measures addressing access to food, clothing and housing.
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Social advancement
The DPRK replied to the Committee in 2024 stating that people who are disabled during military service receive preferential treatment (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.217-218). However, testimonies indicate that access to benefits remains limited and is contingent upon demonstrated loyalty to the state.
“When I saw that there’s no such thing as welfare, awareness about people with disabilities was nonexistent, there was no education, and no system for support… I felt hopeless and didn’t think that I could possibly live in this world with one hand.” (Testimony of Jang Jong-won, who defected in 2002. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
DPRK defectors often report the impossibility of social advancement, even for honorary veterans. Factories and hospitals located in Pyongyang are the only well-known institutions open to rehabilitating adults with disabilities. Assistive devices are expensive and difficult to obtain. In addition, persons with disabilities experience exclusion from certain occupations, such as the civil service and the military.
“I felt like I needed to die because I had no future. With a disability in North Korea, one cannot work as a civil servant and cannot join the military. Even the narrowest of future paths are blocked.” (Testimony of Ji Seong-ho, who defected in 2006. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
This inequality and lack of social protection prevent persons with disabilities from overcoming the divide between rural and urban areas in order to connect with skilled networks. In the case of persons with dwarfism, one DPRK defector reports witnessing an isolated area in 2023 where two to three hundred people with dwarfism were sent to live “in order to exterminate them” (Testimony by a man around 40 years old, who defected in 2024. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025).
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Adequate housing
The DPRK notes that various laws contain provisions for persons with disabilities and their rights regarding housing (CRPD/C/PRK/RQ/1. para.148). However, a lack of systemic support for children with disabilities and their families has reportedly resulted in a high rate of abandoned children with disabilities. One DPRK defector testifies that after being injured while scavenging for coal at a young age, he was abandoned.
“I experienced a freight train accident in my childhood in North Korea, where [my left kneecap and left wrist] were cut off. (…) Because the North Korean government didn’t provide food rations, I often stole coal from trains for my survival. There were many children in similar situations as me, and those children were called kkotchebis. I am also a former kkotchebi.” (Testimony of Ji Seong-ho, who defected in 2006. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
Once out of the home, these children experience starvation, beatings, and many die from hypothermia.
“The kkotchebis often become disabled because of accidents and the poor living conditions. There is an effort to get rid of them in Pyongyang.” (Testimony by a woman around 30 years old, who defected in 2023. Interview conducted by PSCORE in June 2025)
Whether a child is abandoned for having a disability or becomes disabled due to poor living conditions, both of these situations showcase the extremely low social protections for children and those with disabilities.
- Access to food
Both honorary veterans and abandoned children are reported to be especially impacted during periods of famine. One DPRK defector testifies that persons with disabilities who are not in regular employment receive less than half of the state’s typical food rations.
“They give working people 700 grams, high school students 500 grams, and middle school students 400 grams in terms of food rations. Because people with disabilities cannot work, they only get 300 grams of food to eat.” (Testimony of Ji Seong-ho, who defected in 2006. Interview conducted by PSCORE in 2024)
Additionally, the DPRK refused recommendation 130.143 in the 2024 Universal Periodic Review cycle. This recommendation was included to “enhance education and address malnutrition for marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities”. This directly contradicts Article 25 on Health and Article 28 on Adequate standard of living and social protection of the CRPD.
Recommendations to the DPRK
To ensure a more inclusive and rights-based approach to disability policy, the DPRK government should actively foster collaboration among government agencies, non-governmental organizations, disability rights advocates, and international stakeholders to effectively address the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. PSCORE calls on the government of the DPRK to implement the following recommendations.
In relation to Article 16 on Freedom from Exploitation, Violence, and Abuse, PSCORE calls on the DPRK government to:
- Cease forced relocations of persons with disabilities. Specifically, cease the forced relocation of people with dwarfism to remote areas for purposes of segregation.
- Uphold existing labor laws for persons with disabilities. Although persons with disabilities may perform tasks in different ways, clear and consistent regulations for the workplace are more effective than penalties. Enforce the established equitable production scale for persons with disabilities so that they are not penalized in a way that results in overwork or exploitation.
- Adopt a comprehensive and gender-based approach to disability. Increase women with disabilities’ access to support services in response to domestic and sexual violence. Provide education on pregnancy and medical services.
- Conduct social awareness campaigns that reflect all types of disabilities and their positions in social life. Lay out a structured plan to execute this social awareness campaign nationwide, actively, and frequently with major actors and goals.
In relation to Article 24 on Education, we call on the DPRK government to:
- Include medical, social, and legal aspects of disability in the regular school curriculum. Adopt the position that increased social awareness of disability begins with active exposure and tolerance for human diversity.
- Advance educational opportunities for persons with disabilities. Ensure that education for persons with disabilities does not cease after primary school, but continues to the university entrance exam, university, and the workplace. Allow persons with disabilities to become leaders and executives in society–not just through educational opportunities. Skills should therefore be taught to persons with disabilities that empower them to seek jobs in governmental organizations.
In relation to Article 25 on Health, we call on the DPRK government to:
- Allow access to healthcare services abroad for persons with disabilities. Some medical treatments for persons with disabilities are time-sensitive and require the utmost quality of care. If such medical treatment cannot be performed successfully in the country, allow temporary travel outside the DPRK to receive adequate health services. Or, allow outside medical personnel to enter the DPRK.
- Conduct a population survey to account for impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities. Major disasters and economic transitions can result in increased disability in society. A survey to account for a new demographic of disability allows for accurate national responses. When conducting the aforementioned survey, sufficient consultation and cooperation with international society is necessary to produce statistics that meet international standards.
Finally, to ensure the comprehensive implementation of the CRPD, we call on the DPRK government to:
- Invite again the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the country to evaluate the government’s progress and advise on future policy. The DPRK must allow and actively enable unrestricted mobility to facilitate travel to regions outside Pyongyang.
- Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the DPRK is not yet a party.