Family members of people abducted during the 1950-53 Korean War said Monday they will formally sue North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for unlawful detention and failure to address such abuses.

The petition will be filed against Kim, Armed Forces Minister Jang Jong-nam, State Security Minister Kim Won-hong and Choi Bu-il, minister of people’s security, the Korean War Abductees Family Association (KWAFA) said.

The group said the legal motion, along with supporting evidence, will be submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague on Wednesday.

“The North has systematically denied and tried to hide the abduction of civilians in the past, even though they are aware of criminal deeds,” KWAFA said.

The motion marks the first time that a North Korean leader and senior leadership are being taken to court over the kidnapping of people during the three-year war.

Related to the legal action, Hanbyun, a group of lawyers advocating the unification of the Korean Peninsula and human rights, will represent families of abducted people at the ICC. (Yonhap News)