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| ▲ Lee Shin-wha, the ambassador-at-large for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, speaks during a seminar hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, the United States, on Nov. 7, 2023 (local time), in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
NK human rights envoy-US outreach
S. Korean envoy meets U.S. officials, experts in diplomatic outreach for N.K. human rights
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's envoy for North Korean human rights has met with U.S. government officials, experts and civic activists in a diplomatic outreach to promote awareness of the North's human rights situation, the foreign ministry said Friday.
Lee Shin-wha, the ambassador-at-large for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, met with Uzra Zeya, U.S. under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights at the State Department, in Washington earlier this week.
They were also joined by Jung Pak, U.S. deputy special representative for Pyongyang, and Julie Turner, the American envoy for North Korean human rights.
At the meeting, Lee highlighted the importance of cooperation between Seoul and Washington to improve the dire human rights situation in the North.
At a seminar hosted by the Hudson Institute, Lee called for a united response from like-minded countries over the forcible repatriation of North Korean defectors and the need for in-depth discussions on the link between the human rights and security issues.
She also took part in a conference organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and later met with experts from key think tanks, including Frank Jannuzi, head of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, and Damon Wilson, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Lee, a professor at Korea University, was appointed to the position in July last year after a five-year vacancy, as the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol took a proactive stance about North Korean human rights issues in a departure from the preceding Moon Jae-in government.
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