The National Human Rights Commission (led by Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho) has suggested that the Ministry of Unification should engage in a procedure for collecting views from those concerned before altering the legal phrase "North Korean refugees" to options like "Bukhyangmin."
On the second day, the NHRC recommended to the Ministry of Unification that the present legal term "North Korean refugees" should be changed to "Bukhyangmin" or an equivalent designation, emphasizing the necessity of ensuring procedural validity through public discussion and communication with those concerned.
The complainant, A, submitted a request asserting that the Ministry of Unification's September 2025 public poll regarding the name alteration omitted the actual individuals involved—North Korean defectors—and was conducted without proper openness and legal validity. A stated, "Although most participants opposed the name change at that point, the Ministry continues to push for changing their names to 'Bukhyangmin' against their wishes."
As a reply, the Ministry of Unification stated, "The application of the word 'Bukhyangmin' was included in a policy evaluation designed to reduce societal prejudice and unfavorable views about North Korean defectors and encourage their inclusion within society." Furthermore, they responded, "We carried out data collection processes using multiple approaches such as research initiatives, discussions with specialists, conversations with relevant groups, and community polls."
Nevertheless, the NHRC determined that because the name alteration has a substantial effect on the lives and identities of those involved, their perspectives should be clearly represented throughout the policymaking procedure.
Therefore, the NHRC's Second Committee on Addressing Human Rights Abuses suggested, "Since names identifying those impacted play an essential role in shaping their identity and self-respect, the government must take into account their views and incorporate them into upcoming legal updates or policy actions." It called on the ministry to maintain proper procedure when altering the terminology.