Human rights in North KoreaThe human rights record of North Korea is often considered to be the worst in the world and has been globally condemned, with the United Nations, the European Union and groups such as Human Rights Watch all critical of it. Most international human rights organizations consider North Korea to have no contemporary parallel with respect to violations of liberty. Western human rights groups such as Amnesty International and nations such as the United States have asserted that, in practice, there is no right to free speech, and the only media providers that are deemed legal are those operated by the government in North Korea.
North Korean defectorsNorth Korean defectors are North Koreans who have fled from the country in spite of legal punishment for political, ideological, religious, economic, moral, personal, or nutritional reasons after the division of Korea after the end of World War II and the Korean War. North Koreans flee to various countries, mostly South Korea and China. In South Korea, they are referred to by several terms, including "northern refugees" and "new settlers". Towards the end of the North Korean famine of the 1990s, there was a steep increase in defections, reaching a peak in 1998 and 1999.
Kim Il SungKim Il Sung (ˈkɪm_ˈɪlˈsʌŋ,_-ˈsʊŋ; , kimils͈ʌŋ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a Korean politician and the founder of North Korea. He ruled the country from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. Afterwards, he was declared its eternal president. His birth name was Kim Song Ju (). He held the posts of the Premier from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994. He was the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) from 1949 to 1994 (titled as Chairman from 1949 to 1966 and as General Secretary after 1966).
Kim Jong UnKim Jong Un (ˌkɪm_ʤɒŋ'ʊn,_-'uːn; , kim.dʑɔŋ.ɯːn; born 8 January 1982 or 1983) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim Jong Il, who was North Korea's second supreme leader from 1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui. He is a grandson of Kim Il Sung, who was the founder and first supreme leader of North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.
