Dismissed After Launch of Trump Administration
Trump Left the Post Vacant for Four Years During His First Term
It was belatedly confirmed on April 22 (local time) that the position of U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights is currently vacant. Ambassador Julie Turner, who had been appointed as the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights in 2023 after a six-year vacancy, was dismissed from the position following the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration.
According to the State Department, Ambassador Turner is now serving as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor following the launch of the Trump administration.
Ambassador Turner served as the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights from October 2023 to January 2024 after going through the Senate confirmation process, but stepped down from the position after the change in administration.
It has been reported that Ambassador Turner's dismissal from the Special Envoy post was part of a broader reorganization in which various special envoy positions within the government were simultaneously eliminated following the start of the Trump administration.
Given that President Trump does not prioritize human rights issues in his foreign policy, there is a significant possibility that the position will remain vacant during his term, as was the case during his first presidency.
Previously, Ambassador Turner, who served as Director for East Asia and the Pacific in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the State Department, was nominated as Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights by then-President Biden in January 2023. The position had remained vacant for six years prior to Turner's nomination. The Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights was first established under the North Korean Human Rights Act, which took effect in October 2004.
This prolonged vacancy was due to President Trump, during his first term beginning in January 2017, not appointing a successor to outgoing Special Envoy Robert King, as well as delays in appointment during the Biden administration.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
