A new report suggests that the current situation in North Korea may amount to genocide. Although the world has long been aware of potential human rights violations and crimes against humanity in North Korea, few have called the situation there an outright genocide.

The report came to light at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing Tuesday, during which South Korea Human Rights Ambassador Lee Jong-hoon said the possible genocide extends to three groups: the so-called “hostile class” (which is the lowest class in the North Korean caste system), those who are adherents of religion — particularly Christianity — and those who are not ethnically North Korean. The genocide, Lee said, is largely by attrition and starvation.