By Maeng Hyosim
The North Korean regime recently highlighted the adoption of the “Law on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” in September 2023 as a significant legal development in its report submitted to the 4th Universal Periodic Review(UPR) of North Korea held in November.
The Kim Jong-un regime claims substantial progress in human rights promotion, asserting that welfare and protection for disabled persons are well-established in North Korea. Through its propaganda, the regime emphasizes laws protecting disabled individuals and promises free medical services, creating the illusion that disabled people enjoy a high quality of life. However, the reality for disabled individuals in North Korea is entirely different from this portrayal.
Our family lived in Hyesan City, Yanggang Province, near the border of North Korea and China. My mother contracted polio as an infant and battled it for nine months, resulting in paralysis of her lower body. Life as a disabled person in North Korea was filled with severe discrimination and prejudice. People often referred to my mother as “crippled” or “invalid”, isolating her from society.
North Korean residents are unaware of the existence of wheelchairs. Because of this, my mother found it difficult to attend school, and she had to give up her dream of going to college. She lost her will to live and even attempted to end her life several times due to the hostile environment.
Despite these challenges, my mother taught herself how to sew and started a small business. She eventually met my father, and together, they built a family. In North Korea, wheelchairs were practically nonexistent, so my father carried my mother on his back everywhere they went. They worked tirelessly—my father brought goods from China to sell at the local market, and my mother operated a small food shop, allowing us to maintain a basic livelihood.
However, our lives took a drastic turn when a customer, owing my mother money for credit purchases, refused to pay and physically attacked her, breaking her arm. When we reported the incident to the authorities, they dismissed it, belittling my mother because of her disability and siding with the attacker. Even the legal system failed us; the court sided with the perpetrator, leaving us unable to recover the debt or medical expenses. Although North Korea’s “Disabled Persons Protection Law” supposedly guarantees free medical care for people with disabilities, we had to sell everything we owned to afford my mother’s surgery. This event shattered any remaining trust we had in the system, prompting us to escape North Korea.
The journey to freedom was grueling. My father crafted a makeshift sling to carry my mother on his back while holding my hand as we crossed the Yalu River into China. We traveled through Vietnam and Laos, eventually reaching a refugee camp in Thailand. For 15 days, my father walked without rest, carrying my mother on his back the entire way.
It was at the Thai refugee camp that we experienced kindness and consideration for people with disabilities for the first time. Because of my mother’s condition, we were able to arrive in South Korea within two weeks, much sooner than the usual waiting period of two to three months.
Once in South Korea, the stark difference in disability rights and welfare systems between the two Koreas became evident. South Korea’s high level of awareness and well-developed welfare benefits for people with disabilities amazed us. My mother, for the first time, gained mobility through a wheelchair and was even able to travel abroad.
The advanced healthcare system and accessibility of assistive devices significantly improved her quality of life. It was something that was unimaginable in North Korea. Today, my mother is attending university, realizing the dreams she once thought were impossible. It was only after escaping North Korea that I learned North Korea has a “Disabled Persons Protection Law” (enacted in 2003) and has even submitted reports on implementing the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (CRPD) in 2018.
However, these measures are merely for propaganda purposes. In reality, most North Koreans are not aware of the existence of such laws, and people with disabilities live under severe discrimination. North Korea has no meaningful welfare system for disabled individuals, and societal awareness and support for them are extremely low. As a result, the rights of disabled people in North Korea are completely disregarded.
I want to raise awareness about the struggles of disabled people in North Korea and urge the North Korean regime to address these human rights issues seriously. International attention is crucial. I hope that someday the disabled people and other residents of North Korea will be able to live fulfilling lives, just like my mother is now.
The author is prominent North Korean Human Rights Activist.
