On Tuesday, November 7, One Korea Network hosted a meet and greet with Ambassador Lee Shin-wha and the Korean community, especially local Korean journalists based in the Washington, D.C. area. This intimate meeting was the first time the North Korean human rights ambassador met Korean Americans, and the event took place in the Korean Community Center in Alexandria, Virginia.
Henry Song, Director of OKN, moderated the event. “One Korea Network and the Korean American community welcome Ambassador Lee’s first-ever visit to the DMV area. Recently, the South Korean government renewed Amb. Lee’s term for another year, showing South Korea’s active willingness to engage in North Korean human rights issues. In the past year, Amb. Lee has been traveling worldwide to inform a wide-range audience about the dire situation in North Korea and start a multinational cooperation with the United States as the leading partner. We look forward to hearing more from the ambassador today,” he said.
Ambassador Lee first made her remarks on the current North Korean human rights violations by pointing out 1) domestic human rights abuses inside North Korea; 2) North Korean workers overseas under forced labor; and 3) foreign citizens illegally detained in North Korea. Ambassador Lee also emphasized the importance of close cooperation with the international community, not only limited to North Korean human rights but also covering worldwide human rights violations. The current U.S.-China relations, the correlation between human rights and international security, and Russian technology in North Korea’s weapons development were also topics of the meeting.
After the remarks, the meeting was followed by a Q&A focused on what the Korean-American community could do for North Korean human rights. Frequent questions included how to overcome the impediments from China and the role of Korean Americans in stopping the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors based in China.
“I hope that the Korean community in the Washington, D.C. area takes the lead in addressing the human rights violations of North Korea and initiating public diplomacy. I look forward to cooperating with the Korean community,” Ambassador Lee concluded.
