U.S. Congress Must Reauthorize North Korea Human Rights Act ASAP!

North Korea recently unveiled an unprecedented image of its nuclear uranium facility, showing off its advanced nuclear capabilities. Despite three decades of diplomatic efforts, they have failed to stop North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons. The Kim regime firmly believes that nuclear weapons are its foremost security guarantee. Thus, it is imperative for the U.S., South Korea, and the international community to shift their North Korea policy goal from denuclearization to human rights issues to confront North Korea’s fundamental problem—the nature of the regime itself.

The North Korean regime is one of the worst abusers of human rights in the world. According to the 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry, “the gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world.” Crimes include forced starvation, sexual violence against women and children, restrictions on freedom of movement, arbitrary detention, torture, executions, enforced disappearances, and persecution of religious minorities, especially Christians.

Despite the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the international community for the regime's human rights violations, no significant changes have occurred. Since the regime remains resistant to external pressure, the most effective approach to exert pressure on it is by raising awareness of human rights among its own citizens.

The Kim regime is most afraid of its own people becoming awakened by exposure to outside information. Numerous North Korean defectors who have gained knowledge about their human rights from outside sources have attempted to flee in search of a better life. Over time, the regime has shown a heightened sensitivity to criticisms of its human rights abuses, as they have the potential to trigger significant social unrest that may result in regime downfall, similar to what happened in the Soviet Union.

One of the key initiatives undertaken by the United States towards this objective is the "North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004," which was originally enacted in 2004 and subsequently revised and extended in 2008, 2012, and 2018. This legislation allocates funds to assist North Korean refugees and establishes that North Koreans are eligible for refugee status in the United States. Additionally, financial support is provided to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that promote information about freedom and human rights within North Korea using various methods, such as radio broadcasts, the distribution of USB drives, micro SD cards, audio and video players, cell phones, Wi-Fi, and other electronic media.

But unfortunately, the North Korean Human Rights Act expired in 2022 and has yet to be reauthorized by the U.S. Congress. Despite bills to reinstate the law being presented in both the House and the Senate that year, they have not been approved, not due to the content of the bills themselves, but because of Congressional disarray and division.

There might be concerns about how to measure the law’s effectiveness, given the nature of North Korea’s hermetic society. But North Korean defectors themselves are living testimony of its effectiveness, as exposure to outside information significantly influenced their decision to escape for a better life, even at the risk of their own lives. That is why many North Korean defectors in South Korea participate in the work of these NGOs to awaken their fellow North Koreans. 

Despite the regime’s severe control of the media, the flow of information inside North Korea is on the rise. North Koreans are becoming more aware of the truths about the world beyond their borders. It is imperative for the U.S. Congress to promptly reauthorize North Korea Human Rights Act to ensure the continuity of essential programs, including information operations. We should not stop our endeavors to let the North Korean people know that they have fundamental rights simply as human beings. There is no way to achieve peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula other than awakening the North Korean people!

Author: B.J. Choi, founder of NVNK, obtained his Master's degree in Asian Studies from the George Washington University. He previously worked for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) on North Korea issues.