 By Jeune Kim, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs and Editor and Benjamin Fu, HRNK Research Intern October 1, 2020 On the third anniversary of Otto Warmbier’s passing, HRNK hosted a conversation with Warmbier’s mother, Cindy Warmbier. Mrs. Warmbier and her husband, Fred, have been actively chasing North Korean financial assets and raising awareness about the Kim regime’s human rights abuses. During the conversation, Mrs. Warmbier emphasized the need to sustain pressure on North Korea and expressed her frustration with the U.S. government’s inability to properly respond to Pyongyang’s transgressions and illegal activities.
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 Translated by Jeune Kim, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs and Editor September 28, 2020 Our colleague, Jeune Kim, has provided an excellent and timely translation indicating that the non-Korean-speaking public may misinterpret this letter as an actual apology. The killing of a South Korean citizen by North Korea was not a “minor error.” A Republic of Korea government official, helplessly floating in the water, was interrogated for hours. He was shot dead. A combustible liquid was poured onto him and his body was set on fire. Regardless of the reasons why the victim was there, that was an atrocity. Moreover, “regret to have greatly disappointed President Moon Jae-in” and the people of South Korea does not qualify as an apology. What about the family of a man gruesomely killed by agents of the Kim regime just ten days ahead of the Chuseok holiday? We are once again reminded of the crimes committed against countless North Koreans as well as South Koreans and citizens of other countries. This is yet another stark reminder of the need for a worldwide effort to ensure accountability for the crimes of the Kim regime. Greg Scarlatoiu Executive Director  By Hayley Noah, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs and Editor and Benjamin Fu, HRNK Research Intern September 18, 2020 North Korean refugees are not always thought of as refugees, with terminology like ‘defector’ or ‘escapee’ often used instead. In South Korea as well, by virtue of the constitution that states any Korean on the peninsula is considered a citizen of the Republic of Korea, they are not labeled refugees. However, North Koreans who escape from their country are fundamentally refugees, and, as such, they deserve the international protections that the United Nations affords to refugees pursuant to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol outline. The 1951 Convention states that a refugee is someone who has a:  By Youngwoo Jung and Jessup Jong
September 16, 2020 Economic Impacts of the Pandemic in North Korea The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world’s largest economies including the U.S. and China. The U.S unemployment rate reached its highest rate since the Great Recession in 2008: 14.7% in April 2020.[1] The US GDP declined by 4.8% during the first quarter of 2020.[2] Similarly, China’s GDP shrank by 6.8% in the same quarter.[3] In response, economists are scrambling to evaluate the exact economic impact of COVID-19 and ways countries can recover from the pandemic.  By Benjamin Fu, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs and Editor September 10, 2020 As North Korea begins to ease its protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the country faces the massive challenge of rebounding from not only economic standstill in many parts of the country, but also economic sanctions that continue to weigh on the Kim regime. As internal sources indicate, the economic situation has become increasingly dire, and fast.[1] Equivalently, the regime’s introduction of economic reform relevant to juche, North Korea’s principal ideology of self-reliance, is increasingly relevant in the near future. |
DedicationHRNK staff members and interns wish to dedicate this program to our colleague Katty Chi. A native of Chile and graduate of the London School of Economics, Katty became a North Korean human rights defender in her early 20s. Katty was chief of international affairs with the North Korea Strategy Center (NKSC) in Seoul from 2010 to 2014 and worked with the Seoul Office of Liberty in North Korea (LinK) from 2019 to 2020. A remarkable member of our small North Korean human rights community, Katty brought inspiration and good humor to all. Katty passed away in Seoul this past May, at the young age of 32. She is survived by her parents and brother living in Chile. With the YPWP series, we endeavor to honor Katty’s life and work. Archives
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