Families of Victims of Enforced Disappearance by North Korea

Urge the Lee Jae-myung Government

On the eve of the UN-designated International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (August 30), we gather to deliver our urgent appeal to the Government of the Republic of Korea and the international community.

For decades, North Korea has systematically carried out enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention of South Korean POWs, abductees during and after the Korean War, South Korean citizens, and North Korean escapees. The 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK (COI) concluded that these state-organized abductions and non-repatriations constitute crimes against humanity, estimating more than 200,000 victims.

Victims’ Voices on the International Day of the Disappeared 2025

On the International Day of the Disappeared 2025, we honor the courage of families who continue to speak out.

Letters written by victim families remind us of the pain, resilience, and unyielding demand for justice that this day represents.

Read the full letters here:

1) Letter  by Wahyu Susilo, brother of Wiji Thukul, victim of 1997-1998 Enforced Disappearance, Indonesia 

2) Letter by Mallika Amma, wife of a disappeared, a Sinhalese from Galle District, South, Sri Lanka

3) Letter by Ibrahim Abdullah, son of a disappeared, Pakistan

4) Letter by Swastika Mali, daughter of a disappeared, Representative of the Enforced Disappearance Family, Nepal

5) Letter by Chandrakala Upreti, wife of the Disappeared, Banke, Lumbini Province, Nepal

6) Letter by Anisha Islam Insha, Daughter of disappeared, Ismail Hossain Baten, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Statement by Odhikar against Enforced Disappearance

Odhikar unequivocally condemns the practice of enforced disappearance in Bangladesh and anywhere else in the world. This grave violation not only strips individuals of their liberty and dignity, but also inflicts lasting trauma on their families and communities. Enforced disappearance constitutes a crime under international law and must be addressed through urgent, effective, and rights-based measures.

20 Years On the Disappearance of Masood Janjua and Faisal Faraz, and the Unyielding Struggle for Truth and Justice

Joint Statement by Defence of Human Rights, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Amnesty International Group 40 USA,  Advocacy Forum-Nepal, CVSJ, Asian Federation Against Involuntary & Enforced Disappearances (AFAD), Baloch Voice for Justice, Baloch Yakjeeti Committee (BYC), Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), CAGE UK, FIND Philippines, Families of the Disappeared (FOD), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED), Jonas Burgos Movement, KontraS, Karapatan, Desaparecidos (Families of the Disappeared for Justice), Latin American Federation of Associations for Relatives of the Detained-Disappeared (FEDEFAM), Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line,  Odhikar,  Sindhian National Congress and Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh.