A Call for Scrutiny of South’s Aid

Amid controversy over the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) aid to North Korea, which is said to have been diverted by the communist nation, the U.S.’ influential conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation urged on January 23 that the South Korean government be asked to set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the extent and nature of the funds which South Korea gave to North Korea.

That day, three researchers, including Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, placed on the foundation’s website a report titled, “The UNDP North Korea Scandal: How Congress and the Bush Administration Should Respond.”

In the report, they called for a freeze on U.S. contributions to the UNDP immediately and recommended, “Call upon South Korea to allow an independent commission of inquiry to review Seoul’s extensive unilateral provision of assistance to the DPRK.”

They claimed, “South Korea has provided approximately $5 billion in aid to Pyongyang over the past decade, including a secret $500 million payment to secure the 2000 inter-Korean summit. An independent inquiry could resolve lingering concerns over the extent and nature of South Korean largesse.”

They also want to suspend U.S. co-financing or voluntary funding of United Nations activities in North Korea and to immediately stop United Nations programs and funds operating in North Korea, including UNICEF, that are supported by the UN Security Council.

They recommended to the U.S. Congress that, “The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs should examine whether United Nations programs operating within the DPRK—including the UNDP—are harming American interests. They should hold hearings into this matter, and the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Appropriations should not approve any additional funding of UNDP operations.”

sechepa@donga.com