Date: Monday, July 25, 2022
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.

 

1. Unification Ministry to request to recommend directors of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation

 

As the composition of the second half of the National Assembly was finalized on Friday last week, the Unification Ministry sent an official document today to request the National Assembly to recommend directors of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation.

 

The North Korean Human Rights Act stipulates that “the North Korean Human Rights Foundation shall have not more than 12 directors, including one chief director, and among whom two persons shall be recommended by the Minister of Unification, the remainder by the National Assembly; when the National Assembly recommends directors, the negotiating body of the political party to which the President currently belongs or formerly belonged, and the other negotiating bodies, shall recommend one half of the members, respectively, and the Minister of Unification shall appoint such directors.”

 

The Government aims to launch the North Korean Human Rights Foundation as stipulated in the North Korean Human Rights Act as it is one of the Government’s main tasks, and the President also called for the launch of the foundation at an early date when Unification Minister Kwon Youngse reported the Ministry’s work plan on Friday July 22.

 

Concerns have been raised at home and abroad for the fact that legal obligations are not practically implemented as the foundation is still yet to be established even after the North Korean Human Rights Act went into effect in September 2016.

 

The Government intends to establish the foundation as soon as the recommendation for its directors are finalized by the National Assembly, and plans to improve the human rights of North Korean residents and address humanitarian difficulties as mandated by law.

 

In addition, the Ministry plans to request the recommendation for members of the National Assembly for the North Korean Human Rights Advisory Committee as stipulated in Article 5 of the North Korean Human Rights Act.

 

The North Korean Human Rights Advisory Committee advises on promoting North Korean human rights, and is comprised of not more than 10 members, recommended one half of the members by both the ruling and opposition parties of the National Assembly respectively.

 

2. Minister’s Schedule

 

Minister Kwon will attend the National Assembly’s interpellation session on politics, foreign affairs, unification, and security sectors today(7.25) at 2 P.M.

 

On Wednesday July 27, the Minister will attend a study meeting hosted by the People Power Party at the National Assembly to give a lecture on the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula and how the Government plans to promote inter-Korean relations.

 

On the same day, the Minister will attend an event to celebrate the launch of the Unification Education Officials.

 

3. Q&A

 

Q. There was a report yesterday evening that a corpse of a woman with a North Korean badge was found near the Gunnam Dam. Could the Ministry provide more information regarding this report?

 

A. On July 23, a woman was found dead near the downstream of the Imjin River. As this case is currently going under investigation by responsible agencies, we will let you know with necessary measures at the Ministry’s level once this person is confirmed to be a North Korean resident. At this point, the Ministry does not have relevant information.