North Korean Refugees and International Refugee Law

The severe food crisis of the 1990s forced thousands of NorthKoreans to leave their country in search of food. Most of themcrossed the border into China, to which the Government of thePeople's Republic of China (the PRC) responded by forcibly repatriatingdefectors to North Korea, thus placing many of them at riskof being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment and,at times, even death. This article provides an overview of thesituation of North Korean asylum seekers and analyses the legalprotection available to North Korean defectors under internationallaw. The article focuses specifically on the situation of NorthKoreans in mainland China and China's obligations under internationalhuman rights and refugee law. The aim of the article is to contributeto the elaboration of durable solutions for the plight of NorthKorean asylum seekers and to develop a range of recommendationsfor law reform and policy change.