Kim Jong Un To Face Criminal Lawsuit For First Time Ever From A North Korean Defector Over Human Rights Violations

A North Korean defector residing in South Korea is set to file a lawsuit and criminal complaint against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for human rights violations.

What Happened: Choi Min-kyung, a North Korean defector, intends to file a lawsuit against Kim Jong-un and four others—including officials from the Ministry of State Security—for violating international criminal law, reported The Korea Times on Wednesday.

The lawsuit and criminal complaint are being filed by the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) on behalf of Choi. She was repatriated to North Korea in 2008 after fleeing to China in 1997. After her repatriation, Choi alleged that she endured human rights violations—such as sexual abuse, physical assault, and torture—while held in a North Korean detention center.

Choi, who now heads a group representing families of North Korean detainees, hopes the legal action will spotlight the country's human rights abuses.

The NKDB announced that this will be the first-ever lawsuit filed by a human rights victim born in North Korea. The group also intends to pursue additional action through the U.N. human rights body and the International Criminal Court.

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Why It Matters: This lawsuit comes amid growing international scrutiny of North Korea’s activities, particularly those pertaining to the U.S.. In June, it was revealed that North Korea was secretly infiltrating American businesses via remote jobs, funneling millions into North Korea’s economy and jeopardizing U.S. data security.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice took significant action against North Korea's illicit financial activities, which involved remote IT workers operating within American tech firms. These events add context to the lawsuit, highlighting the ongoing international tension and scrutiny surrounding North Korea.

Furthermore, Kim and North Korea have lately been vocal critics of the Trump administration. In May 2025, North Korea’s foreign ministry expressed strong disapproval of the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense shield project, terming it a “very dangerous threatening initiative.” It also criticized the U.S. strikes on Iran.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.