[Global NK Interview] Incorporating Human Rights into North Korea Policy: Challenges and Future Prospects

Bo-hyuk Suh, a Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), highlights that despite political controversies, South Korean society largely agrees on the severity of North Korean human rights conditions and the necessity of prioritizing human rights improvement in Seoul’s broader North Korea policy. Due to the limited likelihood of inter-Korean dialogue in the near future, the author suggests that the South Korean government should actively utilize international platforms, such as the United Nations, to showcase its dedication to enhancing North Korean human rights conditions and fostering trust with Pyongyang. Additionally, by emphasizing that the human rights issue extends beyond North Korean residents to encompass separated families, prisoners of war, and abductees, the author urges the government to sustain engagement with North Korea while forming a bipartisan policy consensus within South Korea on addressing the broader human rights problem.