Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Dr. Elizabeth Salmón, arrived in Seoul on February 2. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced her trip last month on January 28.
The OHCHR said she is scheduled to stay until February 6 and will meet with government officials and civic groups, as well as victims of DPRK human rights abuses, their relatives, and North Korean escapees.
On the first day of her third official trip to Seoul in this capacity, Dr. Salmón met with South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina in Seoul. Yonhap News reported that during their talks, Dr. Salmón pledged to continue supporting initiatives made by South Korea and the international community that are necessary for dialogue and engagement with Pyongyang, citing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.
Dr. Salmón is a Professor of International Law and a native of Peru. Prior to her appointment, she was a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee and a Consulting Expert for the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace. She has also advised Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Nations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to her OHCHR profile.
The UN Human Rights Council appointed her Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK on August 1, 2022. She is the fourth person to hold that position and the first woman since the UN Commission on Human Rights established it in 2004. The Special Rapporteur investigates and reports on the situation of human rights in the DPRK and on that government's compliance with its obligations under international human rights law.
Dr. Salmón will hold a press conference (restricted to credentialed journalists) on February 6 before leaving Seoul. She will present her annual report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026 and to the General Assembly in October 2026, according to the OHCHR.
