Ambassador Robert King Speaking at a Press Conference in Geneva

Ambassador Robert King
U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues

Ambassador Robert King

U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues

Human Rights in North Korea (DPRK)

December 9, 2009

Ambassador King: Thank you much.

The reason that Mike said that I went to the best foreign policy school was because he was a graduate as well. [Laughter]. I’m delighted to be here.

I was sworn in as the Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues just over two weeks ago. This is my first trip outside the United States since accepting that position.

I came to Geneva for the Human Rights Council’s consideration of North Korea as part of the Universal Periodic Review, and I thought it was important to be here for that debate because of the importance of human rights in the United States, the concern in the United States for human rights in North Korea. I am very happy that I was able to be here for this and participate in this discussion.

We have raised a number of issues in the brief presentation that we made which dealt with questions of North Korea’s human rights record.

On the one hand, the human rights record of North Korea is appalling, and on the other hand, it is difficult to find out the circumstances and conditions of human rights in North Korea because of limitations on people going to North Korea, particularly non-government organizations who are able to report, record and document what’s happening in terms of human rights. So it was a useful thing to be able to be here and discuss these issues.

I think that, on the positive side, it is encouraging that North Korea participated in this process. And I think that is to be encouraged. We have suggested that there are other areas where North Korea might participate as well. That North Korea should establish a human rights organization, that it should be affiliated with the United Nations organizations that deal with these issues. We’ve suggested that North Korea should accede to the ILO Covenants and participate in the ILO. We’ve suggested they establish an institution to deal with women’s rights, and women and children’s issues. So I think it is important that we press in those directions as well.

You probably have some specific questions that you’d like to raise. I don’t have a copy of the report that’s being prepared. You’ll get a copy of that, I assume, through your usual channels that are available after 5:30 when the report is considered. But I am hopeful that the the DPRK government will look carefully at the recommendations and will be willing to see what the world community has to say, and to make the changes that are necessary to bring North Korea in line with the conditions, with human rights conditions that are generally accepted around the world.

One of the things that I think is important is that for North Korea to become a member of the community of nations, respect for human rights, observance of human rights norms is part of what is required. And for us to have a normal relationship with North Korea requires that we are able to say that North Korea has made progress on human rights and is moving in the right direction in terms of accepting international standards.

You probably have questions. I’ll give you an opportunity to ask questions about any of the issues that we’ve been discussing.

Question: My question is simple. Why the U.S. government didn’t mention abduction issue on Monday’s [inaudible]? As you know, for the Japanese it’s a very very important issue. And I know that time is very limited, only two minutes, but you mentioned many issues including domestic violence against women, or children’s [inaudible], something like that. I would appreciate, is it less important than this issue?

Ambassador King: Let me say first of all, that two minutes is a very short time when you’re trying to deal with the range of issues that we wanted to talk about. Our feeling was that we had an opportunity to raise a few issues. There would be other countries who would raise additional issues. We knew that the Japanese government was going to raise that issue. I had met with the Japanese ambassador earlier that morning. And we knew he was raising the issue.

The United States is supportive of the government of Japan. We support their efforts to find a resolution to the abduction issue, and yes, we are concerned about that. It is an egregious violation of human rights and we’re supportive of Japanese efforts to find a resolution.

Voice: We have a few copies of Ambassador King’s statement at the Universal Periodic Review session. I’m not sure I’ve got one for everyone, but for those of you who are interested, we might be able to get you one afterwards.

Question: I would like to ask you on the food situation in North Korea, especially with the compounded financial and food crisis in the world, how does the United States see it today? And what interventions are you probably going to do to assist those people?

Ambassador King: The United States does not link humanitarian assistance to any political considerations. There are considerations. First of all, how serious is the need in the country that needs assistance? Secondly, what are the competing needs that we have to face? What other countries are in need of help and assistance, and what do we have available to provide? Third, are we able to monitor and assure that the assistance that we provide in terms of humanitarian assistance, food aid, reaches those who are in the greatest need — children, women, elderly, sick — that kind of thing.

We have been the major donor recently in terms of food assistance to North Korea. Earlier this year, the North Koreans asked us to leave. There were monitors, and people who were supervising the program in North Korea were asked to leave. The North Koreans would not allow us to follow up and assure that the aid we were providing was going where it was intended. So we stopped providing food aid. If we are able to reach agreement on being able to monitor humanitarian assistance, and if the need is there, and if the resources are on our side and the competing demands are met, we would be willing to look at providing assistance again.

Question: My question is basically on what are your views on the fact that within this situation in North Korea, Brazil decided to open an embassy there and it is requesting dialogue with them and basically not being very strong on the issue. Maybe the same line as with Iran and others. How do you see this? Is there space for dialogue with them?

Ambassador King: I would hope there’s space for dialogue, but I would hope there is also dialogue and progress on the nuclear issue, which is a critical issue that needs to be resolved, and I would hope there is dialogue and effort to deal with human rights concerns. I hope that your embassy there will press the North Koreans on those issues.

Question: I work for Korean News Agency, not of North Korea. [Laughter].

I’m asking about malnutrition issue. North Korean [delegates] said at UPR they don’t have malnutrition problem any longer. They insist. What is your opinion about that? Do you have any information?

Ambassador King: It’s very clear that, in the past, there was a malnutrition problem. We are very limited in our ability to assess what’s going on inside North Korea. We don’t have an embassy in Pyongyang. NGOs are limited in terms of their ability to know what’s happening there. So I’m not really in a position to comment on whether that’s true or not.

Question: What is your opinion on the responses that were given by the North Korean delegation during the UPR? Are you satisfied with what they’ve come up with?

Ambassador King: It would have been helpful if the responses had been geared more directly to some of the questions that had been raised. I think it was useful that this was the beginning of a dialogue. I hope there will be an opportunity to continue.

Question: Maybe this is also too area question, but do you have any information or do you have any concern on the recent report from North Korea on, related some human rights or humanitarian issues which may be caused by the recent currency denomination or H1N1 outbreak?

Ambassador King: We’ve seen the news reports that most of you have seen on the currency exchange. There have been a number of speculations as to why it has taken place. At this point, again, we don’t have a lot of direct information on the the impact. Because of the limits of information, I wouldn’t want to draw any conclusions.

Question: I don’t know if you have met face to face with the North Korean delegation here or not, because what you’re implying in your answers is there is hope of, but are there practical steps that have happened in Geneva?

Ambassador King: I shook the hand of the North Korean delegate at the end of the presentation, but I haven’t had conversations beyond that.

Question: [Inaudible]

Ambassador King: He heard my presentation, I heard his.

Question: And you believe this is hope? Just to shake hands and –

Ambassador King: It’s a beginning.

Question: Okay.

Question: NHK, Japanese Television.

As Special Envoy to North Korea do you already have planning for –

Ambassador King: North Korean Human Rights.

Question: Do you have already any plan to go there to visit?

Ambassador King: I am going to contact the North Korean government officials and request that they give me a visa and that I be able to talk with government officials. I haven’t done that yet. As I have said, I’ve been on the job now for all of 15 days.

Question: But you’ve been to North Korea before.

Ambassador King: I have been to North Korea before, yes.

Question: What have you seen?

Ambassador King: This is about four years ago. Congressman Lantos — who I worked for — was there. We had a series of meetings. Unfortunately, it was in January, so we had meetings primarily in Pyongyang.

Question: Did you hear about the currency reform in North Korea recently?

Ambassador King: Yes.

Question: Some people think it may be possibly make the human rights conditions worse than ever. Do you have any comment?

Ambassador King: I’ve seen the stories that are suggesting that this has created a hardship and created problems. It’s a fairly recent development. I’ve only seen the same news stories that you’ve seen, so I don’t think I have anything to add to the stories you’ve seen already.

Question: [Inaudible] News Agency.

[Inaudible]. How do you plan to [inaudible]? [Laughter].

Ambassador King: Fortunately there are a number of non-government organizations which attempt to provide information. There are individuals who have left North Korea who provide information about what’s going on there. We talk to other people who travel to North Korea, so we try to find out what’s going on. It’s hard to find information, but we try.

Question: I want to ask you about the UPR system with countries like North Korea. Do you think it can turn such regimes to respect the international human rights standards? Or is it a futile exercise that will change nothing?

Ambassador King: I think the effectiveness of the UPR process is still being weighed. We haven’t gone through a complete cycle yet, and I think everybody is looking carefully at how the system is working.

It will be interesting to see what effect this has. I would say the jury is still out on this one, but I think we need to look carefully at what has happened over the last six sessions and I think we’re at a point now where we can start evaluating how effective it might be or how we might make it more effective.

Question: Will it work with such regimes? The UPR system?

Ambassador King: It seems to me that if it won’t work with the most serious of problems then we’d better find a system that does. We’ll have to see. We’re in the first stage of the North Korea review process. We’ll see what happens tonight at 5:30. We’ll see what happens in March when the report is presented to the Human Rights Council. I think we’ll have to continue to evaluate it.

Thank you.

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