Human Security: North Korean Refugees, Conduit of ASEAN States and South Korean Sanctuary

According to the human security paradigm, vulnerable individual human beings and groups have an absolute right of protection from threats to their existence. This chapter assesses the extent to which the governments of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries through which they transition and, ultimately, the Republic of Korea (ROK) fulfill their governance obligations. Human insecurity has become central to questions of good national and international governance. Refugees are further guaranteed special protection as vulnerable groups under international humanitarian law. The Refugee Convention was established in 1951 through the UN. The chapter discusses ongoing human security challenges for North Korean refugees in South Korea, as well as measures undertaken by the ROK government to address these humanitarian governance issues.