On July 28, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse met with Lee Shin-wha, the new ambassador for international cooperation on North Korean human rights.

Minister Kwon emphasized that the North Korean Human Rights Act should be properly implemented and the North Korean Human Rights Foundation should be launched at an early date to improve North Koreans’ human rights, and he asked Ambassador Lee to take action to promote human rights in North Korea. In particular, he mentioned that it is important to engage constructively with the international community to improve the overall humanitarian situation for North Korean residents.

Ambassador Lee Shin-wha responded that she would do her best to fulfill her duties in accordance with the North Korean Human Rights Act and to improve human rights in North Korea.
She also expressed her ambition to work closely with Elizabeth Salmon, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, and the future US special envoy for human rights in North Korea to gather a consensus on North Korean human rights in the international community.