Mencius and North Korean Refugees in East Asia

This paper examines the North Korean refugee situation using Mencius’s moral philosophy, promoting a humanitarian perspective grounded in East Asian philosophical traditions. North Korean refugees endure significant human rights violations and face numerous challenges in China and South Korea; nonetheless, this issue is neglected due to other geopolitical considerations. By applying Mencius’s philosophy, this paper offers a humanitarian and legal-philosophical approach to the North Korean refugee dilemma, going beyond prevailing Western-centric frameworks. It emphasizes the significance of empathy and ethical leadership in tackling humanitarian situations, especially in East Asian nations shaped by Confucian culture. The research enhances refugee scholarship by including Eastern philosophical viewpoints, albeit recognizing limits such as practical implementation issues and potential cultural misunderstandings when Western institutions promote these ideologies. This inclusion expands the analytical perspective, highlighting the need of varied cultural views in developing more inclusive and comprehensive strategies for refugee protection, with consequences for both scholarly discussion and policy formulation.