(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. Joel Charny, Vice President for Policy at Refugees International, spoke during the third session of the Seoul Summit: My trip to China to talk to North Korean refugees was one of the most difficult in years of humanitarian work....

Negligent Homicide: When a government seriously considers buying Russian destroyers instead of feeding its 6.5 million starving people, you know that it’s long past time for that nation to be slapped with an arms embargo. When you realize that the U.N. isn’t even considering it, you can see how worthless the United Nations has become.

North Korea’s “other” abductees aren’t Korean or Japanese.

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow recently drew some shrill responses from North Korea and its friends in the South for calling the North a “criminal regime” when commenting on the latter’s counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The ambassador may create a degree of discomfort in the South Korean government, but he’s certainly doing a far better job of carrying the American message than his predecessors. In the process, he’s won some fans, and not just on this blog. All emphasis...

OFK’s posts from Freedom House’s July 2005 North Korean human rights conference in Washington: Freedom House Washington Conference Pt. 1, General Observations Pt. 2, Sharansky Speech Pt. 3, Q&A with Sharansky, Kang & Brownback Pt. 4, LiNK Protest at S. Korean Embassy Pt. 5, The NK Gov’t Reacts Pt. 6, Media Roundup Pt. 7, Interfaith Panel Pt. 8, Were Liberals Underrepresented? Pt. 9, Bleat the Press Andy Jackson’s posts from Freedom House’s December 2005 Conference in Seoul: Overview and opening...

(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. The following are small samples of the presentations during the second session of the Seoul Summit on Friday, December 9, 2005: Conference on Strategy for North Korean Human Rights Improvement (more on the session see here). I have provided...

(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 The following are small samples of the presentations during the second session of the Seoul Summit on Friday, December 9, 2005: Conference on Strategy for North Korean Human Rights Improvement. I have provided links when I could so you...

The Senate has joined the House in introducing a resolution declaring Korean-American Day. I also have a copy of the floor speech introducing the resolution, which actually mentions Michelle Wie by name, but because Dick Durbin gave it, my fingertips abruptly developed bleeding sores when I tried to cut and paste it. The resolution is better reading anyway. Whereas on January 13, 1903, the arrival of 102 pioneer immigrants to the United States initiated the first chapter of Korean immigration...

The Treasury Department’s enforcement actions against Banco Delta Asia, North Korea’s money-launderer of choice, has caused quite a disruption: North Korea has moved what to all intents and purposes was its representative office in Macau, the Zokwang Trading Co. The office sign is gone, and North Korean staff of Zokwang Trading across the street from the Macau Department of Transport have disappeared. Most appear to have headed for mainland China, where the next round of sanctions could have some delicious...

The general trend is that North Korean defectors are drawn to Christianity, but the New York Times reports that this trend is far from universal: After the service, the North Korean said, “Even when I pray, I’m not sure it comes naturally.” Perhaps realizing that the South Korean missionary, Peter Jung, sat within earshot, the North Korean softened his words. “When you’ve had the kind of life I’ve had, it’s difficult to believe in anything,” said the North Korean, who,...

(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 Thomas O. Melia, is Deputy Executive Director at Freedom House. He is also a Democrat, as are a majority of the staffers at Freedom House according to someone I talked with who works there. I mention that now only...

Even last summer, with the World Food Program’s food aid flowing into North Korea, the country was suffering from food shortages. Today, North Korea’s frigid winter has set in, and the regime has almost completely evicted the WFP and the aid it provided. For thousands of North Korea’s underprivileged citizens–not counting the millions who starved for the sake of the regime’s nuclear buildup in the 1990’s–it is already too late. Yet the United Nations, through its anemic retreat from North...

The New York Times earns high praise this week for its brave, straightforward coverage of the slaughter in Dongzhou, where Beijing is trying its best to revive the old Maoist terror: Now, a stilted calm prevails, a cover-up so carefully planned that the small town looks like a relic from the Cultural Revolution, as if the government had decided to re-educate the entire population. Banners hang everywhere, with slogans in big red characters proclaiming things like, “Stability is paramount” and...

(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. Michael Horowitz is the director of Hudson Institute’s Project for International Religious Liberty. He is a passionate advocate for human rights and religious freedom, which has led him to be one of the strongest critics of the Kim Jong-il...

My informed source has asked me not to reveal any further information about where this originates, but the bipartisan support is very encouraging. All emphasis is my own. —————————————————————————————– December 15, 2005 His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong Ambassador Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 2300 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 Dear Mr. Ambassador: We are writing to you to express our deep concern over news reports regarding the December 6th incident; that is, the lethal assault last week on...

Seoul Complained to the State Department about Ambassador Vershbow’s (accurate) characterization of North Korea as a “criminal regime.” This was the response they got: The Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday quoted a State Department official as saying Vershbow’s remarks reflected U.S. policy toward North Korea. The official declined to comment on a call from Uri Part lawmaker Kim Won-ung to recall the U.S. ambassador. There may be hope for the State Department yet.

U.S. President George W. Bush had his first meeting with Jay Lefkowitz since the special envoy for human rights in North Korea was appointed in August, the White House said Wednesday. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said ahead of the meeting it would provide an opportunity for the president to talk about human rights in the North, one of Bush’s “priority policies. [Link.] Meanwhile, the White House named undocumented Ethiopian cab driver Teklemikal Haile Georgistu as the head of the...

There is no respite for the profligate tyrant of a criminal regime today, notwithstanding the fury of his abetters. His access to ready cash may soon dry up. The Chosun Ilbo reports: The U.S. government on Wednesday turned up the heat on North Korea by warning U.S. financial institutions that North Korea may be looking for new money laundering channels after Washington blocked transactions with the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, allegedly Pyongyang’s main funnel for gains from criminal activities. An...