UN office demands explanation on Korean firms’ alleged link to Xinjiang rights issue

The United Nations on Thursday accused South Korean companies, including Samsung and LG, to have allegedly sourced items from factories in China’s Xinjiang region that has been embroiled in forced labor allegations.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, its special rapporteurs dealing with issues including slavery, torture and human trafficking sent a letter to the Korean government on Wednesday demanding explanations on the case.

“We note that the following companies domiciled within your territory and/or jurisdiction are potentially involved, including through their supply chains in China and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the alleged human rights violations detailed in this letter: Fila; Hazzys; LG; LG Display; Samsung,” the letter said.

The letter, which fails to suggest concrete evidence on how the mentioned companies are linked with human rights abuses of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region, gave the Korean government a 60-day notice to make clarifications. The letter claims more Korean companies may be implicated.

The UN agency urged the Korean government to take all necessary interim measures to halt the reported violations and hold those responsible accountable if such allegations turn out to be true in further investigations.

The Korean government has denied such allegations in a reply to the agency on Wednesday. Some of the companies mentioned have already responded to the accusations. Earlier this month, LG Electronics and LG Display explained to the human rights body that their businesses do not have links to the Xinjiang region.

“LG Electronics does not have partners in the Xinjiang region. Of the two (Xinjiang) companies the UN claims as LG Display’s partners, LG Display has no record of business with one of them, and has quit business with the other since last year,” an LG official had said.

The letters were sent not only to Korea but also to the US, Japan, Germany, among others, accusing multinational firms such as Amazon, Apple, Dell, Gap, Nike and Google, of their involvement in the Xinjiang row.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)