[imText1]It is prospected that some specific measures will be taken by the US this year to accept North Korean refugees.
It was reported by the leading South Korean newspaper, Chosun-ilbo, that Jay Lefkowitz, the American North Korea Special Envoy, in an unofficial talk held with twenty presidents and related persons of the American North Korean human rights organizations on Feb 13, said, “The North Korean refugees is a problem of credibility for the American government.”
In the talk held in Freedom House, a Washington-based international human rights organization, Lefkowitz suggested three goals of this year; bring out the North Korean human rights problem, active response towards the North Korean refugee problem, and urge North Korea to pursue liberalization.
The participants of the talks said, “Taking into consideration the criticisms it received for taking a passive position towards providing refuge to the North Korean refugees, soon the US will start to accept North Korean refugees located in countries other than South Korea into the US. The maximum number of refugees accepted may exceed 100 this year.”
“As a symbolic action, they will bring a few first. Along with such a measure, if they start the activities for North Korean human rights, in which they can use up to 24 million USD, it could become a stimulant for the North Koreans to defect.
Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State attended the Committee on International Relations budget hearing on Feb. 16 and said, “We are re-evaluating the policy towards the North Korean refugees and evaluating participation of the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation in refugee assistance.”
Meanwhile, despite the fact that the US North Korean Human Rights Act was enacted in October 2004, the US has not accepted any North Korean refugees due to identity verification issues of the defectors and opposition from local countries.
