Ruling Party’s Younger Lawmakers Opposed to U.S. Human Rights Bill for North Korea

A total of 26 younger lawmakers, including Rep. Chung Bong-joo from the Uri Party, delivered a letter to Senator Richard Luger, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate, through the U.S. Embassy in Korea. The letter expresses concern about the legislation contained in the “North Korea Human Rights Act” to the Council for International Relations on September 2.

It is expected that this event will instigate ramifications between the relationship of Korea and the United States as these younger lawmakers delivered an official letter to the U.S. Congress, despite the suggestion of the congressional guidance division to consider the matter carefully.

Chung said, “Although the guidance division had requested us to consider this matter carefully since the letter could have a negative influence on relations between Korea and the United States, I delivered this letter on behalf of my fellow congressmen’s view that the opinion of the people concerned must be presented on a matter which could cause a direct impact on North-South relations.”

The U.S. Embassy had expressed its intention to refuse to accept Chung’s letter, who had requested an application for the letter at first. However, upon Chung’s repeated requests, the U.S. Embassy accepted the letter and replied “yes” to Chung’s request: “Please send this letter to Senator Luger.”

The letter, which Rep. Chung opened to public, included text that read, “Article 202, clauses B and C of the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004 unjustly intervenes in the state affairs of North Korea and could suspend the effort to improve South-North relations. This bill eventually aims for the collapse of the North Korean government, and it concerns us that it may put an end to the South-North dialogue. The human rights improvement in North Korea depends on North Korea’s economic improvement. We request that the U.S. Senate reconsider this bill very carefully.”

The assemblymen who signed the letter include Gu Non-Hwae, Kim Tae-nyun, Kim Hyun-Mi, Kim Huyng-Joo, Beak Won-woo, Bok Ki-wang, Sun Byung-ryul, Oh Young-shik, Woo Won-shik, Yoo Seung-hee, Lee Kwang-chul, Lee Ki-woo, Lee Sang-min, Lee In-young, Lee Chul-woo, Lee Hwa-young, Lim Jong-suk, Chung Bong-joo, Chung Chung-rae, Jee Byung-moon, Choi Jae-sung, Han Byung-do, Hong Mi-young from the Uri Party, and Kim Hyo-suk from the Democratic Labor Party.

The “North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004,” which calls for human rights improvements in North Korea as its main issue, was unanimously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 22 and is scheduled to become an official law after passing through the Senate.

Hoon Lee dreamland@donga.com