National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee Current Affairs Report... Assessment of North Korea Situation and Trends
"Firm Response to Provocations... North Korea Human Rights Report to be Released Soon"
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se assessed that "North Korea is escalating its threat level under the pretext of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and continues military provocations such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)."
Minister Kwon stated at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary session in the National Assembly on the 21st, "We will focus on efforts to deter North Korea's provocations based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and respond firmly to any provocations." North Korea has been continuously conducting missile provocations at intervals of 2 to 3 days since the 12th, one day before the start of the large-scale South Korea-U.S. joint exercise 'Freedom Shield (FS),' and on the day of the South Korea-Japan summit on the 16th, it launched the ICBM 'Hwasong-17.'
Minister Kwon also said, "North Korea continues close ties through high-level congratulatory messages with China and Russia and support for their positions," and assessed that "North Korea is trying to secure allies in the international community." In fact, China and Russia have repeatedly used their veto power at the United Nations Security Council whenever discussions on North Korea's ICBM issues or human rights violations arise, positioning themselves as North Korea's 'backers.'
Regarding North Korea's economic difficulties, he evaluated, "They are unusually encouraging economic achievements by reconvening the plenary session within about two months, but they are repeating existing slogans," and added, "They are mobilizing the military for rural and local construction, focusing all efforts on 'endurance.'" At the plenary session held from the 26th of last month to the 1st of this month, North Korea treated agricultural issues as a de facto single agenda item but failed to present any significant solutions.
Meanwhile, Minister Kwon announced that he will unveil the new unification vision, the 'New Unification Future Plan,' reflecting the changed era through public-private cooperation centered on the Unification Future Planning Committee within this year. The Unification Future Planning Committee, established at the end of last month, is an advisory body to the Ministry of Unification that proposes unification future policies and facilitates public discussion on unification policies.
Additionally, Minister Kwon explained that the 'Annual Report on the Status of North Korean Human Rights,' which had been handled confidentially for the past six years, is scheduled to be published at the end of this month as planned. Since 2017, the Ministry of Unification has produced a North Korean human rights report every year but never disclosed it publicly due to concerns such as 'exposure of defectors' personal information.' However, for the first time, a public report summarizing six years of investigation will be released around the end of this month.
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