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| ▲ This file photo, taken Oct. 18, 2023, shows U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner attending a press meeting in Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) US envoy-Seoul visit
(LEAD) U.S. envoy for N. Korean human rights to visit S. Korea this week
(ATTN: UPDATES with State Department's statement on N. Korea Freedom Week)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, July 8 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights will visit South Korea this week to highlight Washington's commitment to supporting North Korean defectors and escapees, the State Department said Monday.
Ahead of North Korean Defectors' Day that falls on Sunday, Ambassador Julie Turner is scheduled to visit Seoul from Wednesday to Saturday to join a forum and meet Seoul officials, civil society organizations and industry groups to discuss supply chain due diligence and forced labor.
"She will highlight the United States' commitment to support the North Korean defector and escapee community, advance a survivor-centered approach to accountability for North Korea's human rights violations and abuses, and underscore the unique role escapees play in exposing the regime's human rights violations and abuses," it said in a release.
"North Korean escapees are a living testament to what is achievable for North Koreans living in freedom. The United States will continue to work with our allies, including the Republic of Korea, to amplify their voices," it added.
The department reiterated that Washington will continue to work with its allies to "amplify their voices."
This week, civic advocacy groups and others mark the annual North Korea Freedom Week, which culminates in North Korean Defectors' Day.
In a separate statement, Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, said that the U.S. recognizes the "tenacity and courage" of North Korean escapees and human rights advocates, as well as the continued suffering of millions of North Koreans "at the hands of the DPRK government."
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"The regime continues to exploit its citizens, including through forced labor, and divert resources from the country's people to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs," he said.
"Ruthless crackdowns on foreign media and the continuing rise in the number of public executions, including of youth, have heightened an environment of fear and repression."
Miller also reiterated calls for "all" countries to uphold non-refoulement obligations and to protect North Korean asylum seekers.
"We remain committed to highlighting the egregious human rights violations and abuses happening in the DPRK and to working with allies and partners to promote human rights, accountability and access to information."
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