Abstract

This article examines how insights from the transitional justice literature can be applied to North Korea, where the political system prevents grassroots, participatory approaches to accountability, truth-telling, commemoration and reconciliation. The North Korean diaspora, while a potential grassroots community, largely consists of escapees with tenuous or secretive ties to their home country. We argue that the participatory elements of the anticipatory transitional justice efforts are necessarily transnational and must be focused on enabling conditions for a future transition scenario. Political opportunity structures, particularly those shaped by the South Korean state, are critical in facilitating victim engagement. Our findings contextualize the purpose of anticipatory efforts and highlight ways to better address challenges faced by victim constituencies. Additionally, we provide insight into how broader political and structural environments can enable or restrain meaningful action, offering strategies for advancing transitional justice in anticipation of change in North Korea.