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| ▲ This image, provided by the unification ministry on Oct. 11, 2024, shows combined photos of Vice Unification Minister Kim Soo-kyung (L) and Ambassador Julie Turner and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack during their meeting in Seoul on Oct. 10, 2024. (PHOT NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
US envoy-NK human rights
U.S. envoy highlights increased repression in N. Korea in recent years
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights on Friday highlighted an increase in repression within the reclusive regime over the past few years as she renewed Washington's call for Pyongyang to return to dialogue on a range of topics.
Julie Turner pointed to the enactment of three so-called evil laws aimed at preventing North Koreans from accessing outside information, which officials and analysts say could pose a threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The 2020 law on the rejection of "the reactionary ideology and culture" calls for punishing those who bring outside culture and information with 10 years of hard labor. Punishment is tougher in the case of those watching and distributing South Korean dramas, movies and music, with even public executions carried out.
"When I came into the position, we were noticing a backsliding in North Korea's already egregious human rights record, and we have seen over the course of the last few years, an increased level of repression in North Korea," she said during an online press briefing alongside Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack during their visit to Seoul.
Turner also expressed concern over the increased severity of penalties, especially those applied to children, as well as a rise in the persecution of North Korean defectors living in hiding in China.
She noted that a year ago, the Chinese government forcibly repatriated more than 600 North Korean defectors, many of whom remain unaccounted for.
"We continue to call on the PRC government to abide by the principle of non-refoulement, and we call on the North Korean government as well to account for the whereabouts of those individuals," Turner said, referring to China by its official name, the People's Republic of China (PRC).
As Pyongyang's key ally, China does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees and regularly repatriates them to their home country, where they can face harsh punishment.
Despite such concerns, Turner reiterated that the U.S. government continues to encourage North Korea to return to the negotiating table, where a wide range of issues, including humanitarian aid, could be discussed.
"We remain open to looking for opportunities and pathways to build trust, but the ball was really at this point in the North Koreans court to make those opportunities available," she said.
On Thursday, Turner and Van Schaack met with Vice Unification Minister Kim Soo-kyung to discuss ways on how to improve human rights conditions in North Korea, the unification ministry said.
Kim emphasized the importance of systematically investigating and documenting human rights abuses in North Korea, noting that such efforts not only deter further violations but also serve as grounds for prosecuting perpetrators in the future.
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