U.S. to Spend $100 Million on North Korean Defectors over Next Four Years

The U.S. Congress passed the North Korea Human Rights Act unanimously on September 28.

The North Korea Human Rights Act, which had been passed in the House of Representatives on July 21, was partially modified and complemented in the Senate. The act still requires authorization from U.S. President George W. Bush and a reexamination by the House of Representatives in order to be put into effect, but it is very likely that the act will go through the rest of the procedure without any difficulty.

This is the first time that Capitol Hill has actively engaged itself in improving human rights in North Korea by taking a legislative action. This is likely to affect both North and South Korea in determining their positions in the six-way talks on North Korean nuclear weapons.

The North Korea Human Rights Act declares that the U.S. government will provide financial aid to NGOs that help improve human rights in North Korea, and that the U.S. will give defectors the right to apply for exile or refugee status in the U.S. Under this newly passed act, the U.S. government will allocate a budget of $100 million over the next four years.

From 2005 until 2008 starting on October 1 this year, the U.S. government will back various activities related to the enhancement of human rights in North Korea with a yearly budget of $24 million. In detail, the U.S. government is authorized to spend $2 million annually to support efforts to democratize North Korea and to improve the human rights situation there, another $2 million in yearly subsidies for radio programs transmitted to North Korea, and $20 million per year to support NGOs helping North Korean refugees.

The act reaffirms that even if a North Korean refugee can obtain South Korean citizenship, he can still apply for exile or refugee status in the U.S. This is likely to increase the number of refugee or exile applications in U.S. by North Koreans.

In the process of modifying the act, the U.S. Senate demanded the Department of State appoint a special emissary in charge of human rights in North Korea, and added a clause that seeks ways to promote conversation on the issue of human rights in North Korea in which all related countries can participate.

Soon-Taek Kwon maypole@donga.com