Seoul Summit: Kim Moon-soo, the anti-Chung Dong-young

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson)

This a part of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events.

The portions in the blockquote were taken from my notes. I apologize for any inaccuracies.

Kim Moon-soo is one of the leading political figures in Korea who are trying to put human rights in North Korea on the front burner. The third-term Grand National Party (GNP) legislator serves Bucheon, a suburb of Seoul. He serves on the Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee.

Kim is a passionate advocate for those Koreans unfortunate enough to live north of the DMZ. He has introduced numerous bills in the legislature on human rights in North Korea and supporting North Korean refugees. Last winter, he led a fact-finding mission to investigate the living conditions of North Korean refugees hiding in China. During that trip Chinese government goons attacked a press conference Kim had called to address their plight.

Despite his passion, Kim is not a rabid partisan. He broke ranks with much of the GNP’s leadership when he called for the repeal of the impeachment of President Roh. He is considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for president in the 2007 elections

He was the subject of a two–part profile at this blog back in August.

What follows is an excerpt from his speech at the Seoul Summit:

The (South Korean) government has remained silent on human rights violations in North Korea. The government abstained on the UN resolution on human rights in North Korea. The Grand National party has submitted nine resolutions [NOTE: and ten bills] on human rights in North Korea but none have passed. That is the reality we are facing.

I am ashamed of the government’s silent diplomacy. It has killed North Korean people.

Here are some suggestions that the government can do:

Work with NGO’s to raise awareness North Korean human rights problems by gathering information on living standards and political prisons. That is not confrontation, just gathering facts.

Overseas missions should lower fences and accept defectors. The government should be helping defectors. The number of defectors is 33%less than last year. The Korean constitution says that North Koreans are citizens of the Republic of Korea, so the government should assist them.

The government should be more proactive on POWs, abductees and separated families.

Human rights violations are the most important issue concerning North Korea. If that issue is resolved, then others will be easier to resolve. An agreement in the six party talks without agreement on human rights would be hollow.

QUESTION: The Helsinki process tied aid to Eastern European countries to human rights, but that has not been done for North Korea. Can’t aid and human rights be linked.

ANSWER: To some extent, it is necessary. Many North Korean prisoners in South Korea have been returned to North Korea but they have not reciprocated [NOTE: Kim is referring to some prisoners convicted of spying for North Korea].

I respect the American position on human rights but South Korea should be the one taking the lead on human rights in North Korea. It is shameful that we have not.

Kim mentioned that South Korean government inaction on human rights for North Koreans is a reality that we are facing. Here is another reality we are facing: Human rights is a partisan issue, at least for the time being. The leadership of Our Open party (Uri), who see their party as the natural extension of the democracy movement, have openly declared that human rights is a secondary issue in dealing with the Kim Jong-il regime. It was the GNP that sent its chairwoman to the Seoul Summit. It was the GNP that has been pushing North Korean human rights legislation in the National Assembly.

From my (limited) contacts with students in Korea supporting human rights for North Koreans, I know that they are trying to remain non-partisan. But, if the OOP continues to be part of the problem, they may decide to cast their lot with those who actually act like they care.

(The photo, of Kim Moon-soo with Jay Lefkowitz, is from Kim’s web site.)