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The recently appointed U.S. special envoy for human rights in North Korea, Jay Lefkowitz, said Monday he would like to talk with the Stalinist country directly to discuss human rights. Lefkowitz also hopes to visit South Korea ¡°in the near future¡± for talks on Pyongyang¡¯s dismal rights record.
Appointed in August under Washington¡¯s North Korea Human Rights Act, Lefkowitz told the Chosun Ilbo his priority as special envoy would be ¡°to try to promote human rights improvement in North Korea. That¡¯s something that is going to require, first and foremost, obviously the cooperation of the North Korean government, and then I am hoping that I have an opportunity to engage in dialogue with them.¡± In the exclusive interview, the envoy said he would also visit other countries in the region soon. In South Korea, he hopes to stress ¡°that the promotion of human rights is a really bipartisan goal and something that people on both sides of political divide should embrace.¡±
The envoy confessed himself ¡°troubled¡± by South Korea¡¯s repeated abstentions on a UN Human Rights Commission resolution condemning the North¡¯s human rights record. ¡°There is no question, I think, that it is appropriate and would be very timely for the Korean government to join with the rest of the community of nations in condemning ¡¦ certain human rights abuses,¡± he said. Asked about Seoul¡¯s massive humanitarian aid to the North, Lefkowitz said such aid was needed, but so was careful monitoring to ensure ¡°that one delivers humanitarian relief that actually reaches the people who need it the most.¡±
But the envoy disagreed with some on the Republican right that human rights should be on the agenda of six-nation talks about to resume in Beijing. He said the talks ¡°should be focused as they properly should be on the nuclear issues.¡± Discussion of rights at the talks, he said, could be less than constructive. Instead, they are ¡°a critical component¡± of ¡°the broad vision for North Korea-U.S. relations.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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