On July 28, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse met with Lee Shin-wha,
the new ambassador for international cooperation on North Korean human rights.
Minister Kwon emphasized that the North Korean Human Rights Act
should be properly implemented and the North Korean Human Rights
Foundation should be launched at an early date to improve North
Koreans’ human rights, and he asked Ambassador Lee to take action to
promote human rights in North Korea. In particular, he mentioned that
it is important to engage constructively with the international
community to improve the overall humanitarian situation for North
Korean residents.
Ambassador Lee Shin-wha responded that she would do her best to
fulfill her duties in accordance with the North Korean Human Rights
Act and to improve human rights in North Korea.
She also
expressed her ambition to work closely with Elizabeth Salmon, Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, and the
future US special envoy for human rights in North Korea to gather a
consensus on North Korean human rights in the international community.