Expert Calls for South Korea-led "North Korean Human Rights Movement 2.0"

News Summary

Dr. Kwak Gil-sup, President of One Korea Center, called for ushering in the “North Korean Human Rights Movement 2.0” as the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid and federal programs have dealt a direct blow to the movement.

Executive Order 14169 effectively shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and halted funding from key agencies such as the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), while Korean-language services at Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) now face closure.

NGOs report losing up to 90% of their budgets, crippling advocacy efforts, investigative reporting, and information flows into North Korea.

Kwak urged civil society to seize this crisis as a turning point toward building a self-reliant, grassroots-driven human rights ecosystem.

Commentary

Dr. Kwak raises a critical point at a pivotal moment for the North Korean human rights movement. For the past two decades, North Korean human rights NGOs have operated with significant reliance on U.S. government funding—particularly to support information dissemination and advocacy that pierces the regime's information blockade.

However, with the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid and the resulting financial instability, it is now clear that this dependency is unsustainable.

A South Korea-led effort would not only ensure long-term stability and continuity but also foster deeper trust and emotional connection with the North Korean people.

When the border dividing the Korean Peninsula eventually falls, it will matter profoundly who stood with them in their darkest hour. A homegrown, principled human rights movement can lay the foundation for genuine reconciliation, healing, and eventual reunification.