Ilgwangjae and Park Honggeun Found Guilty of Inaction
"Delay in Foundation Launch Due to Postponed Recommendation of Opposition Party Directors"
Ministry of Unification Increases Budget for North Korean Human Rights... Supports Civil Activities
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] As the launch of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation has been delayed for over six years due to political conflicts between ruling and opposition parties, a lawsuit has been filed claiming that the Democratic Party's refusal to recommend director candidates for the opposition's quota is an illegal act.
According to the legal community on the 28th, Kim Tae-hoon, honorary chairman of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (Hanbyun), filed a lawsuit for confirmation of illegal inaction against Lee Kwang-jae, Secretary General of the National Assembly, and Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, at the Seoul Administrative Court as a plaintiff (selected party).
Inaction means failing to perform a required duty, and the purpose of this lawsuit is to confirm that the National Assembly and the Democratic Party's failure to recommend director candidates who meet the composition requirements for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, which should be launched under the North Korean Human Rights Act, is an illegal act.
Kim Tae-hoon, honorary chairman of Hanbyun, said, "It is a violation of international human rights norms and an abetment of crimes against humanity to have enacted the law to prevent violations of the basic rights of North Korean residents but have neglected it for over six years. The National Assembly and the Democratic Party are not fulfilling the measures (director recommendations) they are supposed to take according to the law."
The government must establish the North Korean Human Rights Foundation according to the North Korean Human Rights Act enacted in 2016. This is to investigate the human rights situation in North Korea and conduct related research and policy development. However, the foundation's launch has been delayed for six years. The foundation is to have up to 12 directors, including the chairman, but the Democratic Party has not recommended director candidates for the opposition's quota.
Among the director candidates, two are to be recommended by the Ministry of Unification, and the remaining ten are to be equally recommended by the ruling and opposition parties. The Ministry of Unification recommended Professor Lee Jung-hoon of Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Studies and Kim Beom-soo, head of the non-profit organization SaveNK, as government nominees in September, and the People Power Party also submitted five director candidates to the National Assembly Secretariat. In contrast, the Democratic Party has only stated that it is "in internal discussions" and has not recommended any candidates.
Chairman Kim and five director candidates recommended by the ruling party sent certified letters twice last month to National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Democratic Party floor leader Park Hong-geun, requesting, "Please recommend five directors for the Democratic Party's quota for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation."
Launch of North Korean Human Rights Foundation Likely to Fail Again This Year
Ministry of Unification: "Supporting Civil Activities... Budget Set at 4 Billion Won"
It is expected that the foundation's launch will effectively fail again this year. The Ministry of Unification has doubled the budget related to North Korean human rights to around 4 billion won. This is to actively support the activities of civil organizations amid the delay in the foundation's launch, but opinions among these organizations are divided. Some criticize that the government is shifting the responsibility of persuading the National Assembly onto the civil sector.
At a regular briefing on the 26th, Ministry of Unification spokesperson Cho Joong-hoon stated, "The budget for promoting North Korean human rights has increased from 1.996 billion won this year to 4.08 billion won next year." This newly allocated 2 billion won budget is to enable domestic and international civil organizations to carry out activities related to North Korean human rights amid the delayed launch of the foundation.
The necessity of supporting civil organizations is a matter on which consensus has been formed even within the National Assembly, and it appears that the Ministry of Unification has found its own alternative amid the delay in the foundation's launch, which should support these organizations. While most organizations welcome this, some have expressed concerns that the government is leaving the responsibility of persuading the National Assembly to the civil sector.
An official from a human rights organization who requested anonymity said, "The foundation's launch is the most fundamental solution, but finding other means with a separate budget means accepting the delay as it is. I hope that when a conservative government showing an active stance on North Korean human rights comes into power, the foundation's launch issue will definitely be resolved."
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