The US State Department criticized North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, citing a new report from the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea. They also expressed their willingness to punish the perpetrators, saying that they would record and preserve human rights violations in North Korea. Reporter Bae Sung-won reports.
The State Department criticized North Korea for threatening the world with nuclear and ballistic missiles, violating the UN Security Council sanctions resolution head-on.
A State Department spokesman’s office said to the VOA, “The report of the Expert Panel of the UN Committee on Sanctions against North Korea presented in detail the current state of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development in violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, including the production of highly enriched uranium and modernization of the ballistic missile program.”
[국무부 관계자] “The UN DPRK Panel of Experts report showcases details on the DPRK’s ongoing development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, including its production of highly enriched uranium and modernization of its ballistic missile program.”
He added, “The UN sanctions are limiting North Korea’s ability to develop weapons programs that have been banned by the United Nations,” he said. “It threatens neighboring countries and, more broadly, the international community.”
[국무부 관계자] “UN sanctions limit the DPRK’s ability to develop its UN-prohibited weapons programs, which threaten its neighbors and the broader international community.”
The expert panel report released on the 31st of last month after approval by the members of the Security Council consisting of 15 countries included the ongoing development of North Korea’s nuclear and missile, missile cooperation with Iran, cyber attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges and financial institutions, and various sanctions that are repeated every year. The evasion situation and tricks are introduced in detail.
The State Department has also clarified the Biden administration’s approach to North Korea, which will take practical steps to improve the human rights situation in North Korea. In particular, it is attracting attention by revealing a new position to accumulate and organize human rights violations in North Korea.
[국무부 관계자] “We continue to work with the international community to raise awareness, document and preserve information on abuses and violations, increase access to independent information, and promote respect for human rights in the DPRK.”
When asked what specific action plan would be to hold the perpetrators responsible for violating the human rights of North Koreans, an official from the Office of State Department spokesman said, “We will raise awareness of North Korean human rights issues, record and preserve information on human rights violations and violations, While increasing access to independent information, we continue to cooperate with the international community to promote respect for human rights in North Korea.”
This is a commentary that the State Department has used to introduce the general activities of the US government on human rights in North Korea, with the addition of the phrase “we will keep records of abuses of the people.”
It is interpreted as a warning and a willingness to systematically record and preserve human rights abuses occurring in North Korea and use them as evidence of punishment for the perpetrators in the future.
The Federal Government of West Germany also established the Salzgitter Central Crime Records Archive under the Ministry of Justice when East Germany ordered to fire on residents trying to escape to West Berlin after building the Berlin Wall in 1961, and it was 29 years until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. During this period, 43,390 cases of human rights violations were collected and preserved.
In fact, at a press conference to release the ‘2020 Annual Report on Human Rights by Nations’ on the 30th of last month, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Lisa Peterson, said, “I am deeply concerned about North Korea’s terrible human rights record, one of the worst in the world.” “We will hold the North Korean government accountable for human rights violations.”
The State Department already told the VOA in early February that “The Biden-Harris administration will carefully review North Korea’s terrible human rights record and ways to promote respect for human rights in a closed state (North Korea) as part of its policy review toward North Korea.” He showed the possibility of reappointing the State Department’s special envoy for human rights in North Korea in four years.
This is VOA News, Baek Sungwon.