NEWS & EVENTS

Human rights in North Korea and the US-DPRK summits

On Monday, April 29, 2019, the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies hosted visiting scholar Ms. Mayumi Noma from TV Asahi to lead an internal discussion regarding human rights in North Korea and the US-DPRK summits.

Ms. Noma underscored how human rights have been insufficiently addressed in the international community’s refocus onto North Korea. She outlined the Trump administration’s approach to the issue, the content of recent human rights reports from the UN and the US, and North Korean defector perspectives on the US-DPRK summits. She argues that these summits are the most appropriate venues for discussing North Korean human rights for three reasons. First, abuses like forced labor are inseparable from nuclear development. Second, Kim Jong-un may be more willing to talk than previous leaders. And third, North Korean defectors are counting on the summits to address human rights.

Ms. Noma then fielded questions regarding potential negotiation actors, Japan’s position, and recommendations for incorporating human rights into future discussions.