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2017.06.28
| Won | Pyongyang | Sinuiju | Hyesan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Rate | 8,070 | 8,050 | 8,095 |
| Rice Price | 5,800 | 6,000 | 5,900 |
The Ministry of Unification’s human rights budget will remain frozen for a third consecutive year, it has been revealed.
Saenuri Party lawmaker and member of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee Shim Yoon Jo confirmed that this year’s $41.2m budget allocation was the same in 2012.
No changes to the budget would occur in 2014 either, despite the ministry previously promising annual increases.
The lawmaker also noted that, as of last August, the completion rate of human rights projects undertaken by the ministry was 33%.
Policy consultation meetings ($16,000), support for NGO activities ($187), and the return of deceased North Korean citizens ($11,800) have been carried out this year, but little progress was made in the way of a comprehensive human rights data storage project or support for international cooperation on the issue.
“Last year, at the time of the government investigation, the Ministry of Unification clearly promised that the budget would increase the following year. That the budget will remain the same in 2014 shows that there is no will to improve on the issues pointed out by the investigation, or to work on the human rights issues themselves,” Shim assessed.
“Although a North Korean human rights law has yet to be implemented, the Ministry of Unification must effectively form a budget for related projects. They must also press forward in connecting with international and domestic groups to come up with practical initiatives that improve the human rights of the North Korean people,” he went on.
Saenuri Party lawmaker and member of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee Shim Yoon Jo confirmed that this year’s $41.2m budget allocation was the same in 2012.
No changes to the budget would occur in 2014 either, despite the ministry previously promising annual increases.
The lawmaker also noted that, as of last August, the completion rate of human rights projects undertaken by the ministry was 33%.
Policy consultation meetings ($16,000), support for NGO activities ($187), and the return of deceased North Korean citizens ($11,800) have been carried out this year, but little progress was made in the way of a comprehensive human rights data storage project or support for international cooperation on the issue.
“Last year, at the time of the government investigation, the Ministry of Unification clearly promised that the budget would increase the following year. That the budget will remain the same in 2014 shows that there is no will to improve on the issues pointed out by the investigation, or to work on the human rights issues themselves,” Shim assessed.
“Although a North Korean human rights law has yet to be implemented, the Ministry of Unification must effectively form a budget for related projects. They must also press forward in connecting with international and domestic groups to come up with practical initiatives that improve the human rights of the North Korean people,” he went on.
