North Korea Honors U.S. Aid Worker

North Korea honored an American with its National Award medal yesterday, an unprecedented move.

The Minjok News Agency, a North Korean media outlet based in the United States, reported on January 15 that Han Sung Ryol, Deputy Ambassador to the UN, awarded a friendship medal to Ellsworth Culver (deceased) on January 10 at a dinner reception held in Portland, Maine. Han represented the North Korea’s Presidium of the Supreme People`s Assembly at the event.

The medal was accepted on Culver’s behalf by his wife, Esme Jo Culver.

Culver, who passed away at the age of 78 last August, visited Pyongyang 20 times and performed humanitarian work as the co-founder and senior vice-president of Mercy Corps, an aid agency for developing countries.