The launch of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation in Seoul has been delayed. The government-backed organization was created under South Korea’s new North Korean Human Rights Law, which was passed three months ago. However, the postponement comes as the Minjoo Party seeks to delay its nomination of personnel to the foundation’s board. In a further sign of trouble, the foundation’s 2017 budget has been slashed by the National Assembly.
The North Korean Human Rights Foundation, a public organization affiliated with the Ministry of Unification, was initially slated to receive a budget of 10 billion KRW (~ USD 8.5 million). From this initial pledge, 1.6 billion KRW (~ USD 1.4 million) has been cut. 75% of the funds stripped were earmarked as donations to NGOs active in promoting North Korean human rights.
The Ministry of Unification stated that there has not yet been significant progress with regards to the launch of the foundation. Following the announcement by the National Assembly of the foundation’s budget cut, advocates in the field are expressing disappointment.
“We have continually urged the National Assembly to launch the foundation,” a Unification Ministry official told Daily NK. “We are in a holding pattern waiting for a response, and have since learned that the budget was cut,” the official said, further alluding to concerns about the foundation’s future.
“The National Assembly is required to nominate the board of directors before we are permitted to move forward,” said Unification Ministry Spokesperson Jeong Joon Hee at a press briefing. “Once the board is formed, the foundation’s structure can be determined, a basic operational plan will be drafted, and operations can begin.”
Is a Minjoo-Saenuri power struggle responsible for the delay?
The opposing parties in the National Assembly Secretariat are required to nominate individuals to serve as the foundation’s board of directors before the foundation can be launched, but the Minjoo Party has stated that it will delay its nominations unless the foundation retains a full-time director to represent the minority party.
“The North Korean Human Rights Foundation’s board of directors will be made up of 10 individuals, with five from the Saenuri Party, one from the People’s Party, and four from the Minjoo Party,” a National Assembly Secretariat source told Daily NK on condition of anonymity. “The issue is that the Minjoo Party has not yet submitted its nominations. Only when the National Assembly Secretariat receives all nominations can the process move forward. The next step will be for the speaker of the National Assembly to approve the nominations and make a final submission.”
The foundation’s board will be composed of twelve individuals altogether, with two additional officials from the Unification Ministry supplementing the National Assembly’s ten nominees. Only two of the board’s positions will be full time: its chairman of the board and the secretary general. The chairman of the board is determined by a vote of the foundation’s board, while the secretary general will be appointed by the chairman.
As the government and the Saenuri Party control seven of the votes, it is likely that the chairman of the board and the secretary general will come from one of their own. For this reason, the Minjoo Party is demanding that one full time member of the board be a representative of the minority party.
“Our demand is to have a full time member on the board of the foundation,” a Minjoo Party affiliate, declining to be identified, told the Daily NK. “The government and the Saenuri Party has not responded to this request, which is why we have not moved forward with nominating the board members.”
“The Minjoo Party fundamentally agrees with the purpose of both the North Korean Human Rights Law and the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, which is to improve North Korean human rights,” the Minjoo Party affiliate said. “However, there is a possibility that the foundation will be operated in a politically biased manner. We think that it is important to counter this by incorporating a measure of balance into the foundation’s structure. That is why we are demanding fair representation on the board.”
Where does the blame lie?
A number of North Korean human rights advocates believe that the Minjoo Party’s position on the matter breaks the spirit of cross-party cooperation that was responsible for the passing of the law, while others have labeled the delay a political tactic capitalizing on the instability brought on by President Park’s impeachment.
“The Minjoo Party is not sticking to the commitments it made when the law was voted on. They are plainly unhappy with how the foundation’s board will be determined. The Minjoo Party is being petulant on the issue,” Catholic Kwandong University Professor Lee Won Ung said.
One advocate who has been associated with the launch of the foundation from the beginning and agreed to speak on condition of anonymity said, “It is possible that the impeachment of President Park could be responsible for the delay of the foundation’s launch. The current atmosphere is not conducive to a launch in the near future, and we are likely to see a delay for quite some time.”
“If there is an early presidential election, the balance of power in the National Assembly could change significantly. The election of a Minjoo Party president, for example, would mean a more advantageous situation for the Minjoo Party in terms of electing a chairman and secretary general. From their perspective, there is no reason to rush the launch of the foundation. They will be waiting and watching,” the advocate continued.
The ultimate reason for the delay of the foundation’s launch may also be seen from a wider political context. Some analysts have pointed out that South Korean society as a whole falls short of properly addressing the North Korean human rights situation.
“Are we really fair to throw all the blame on the Minjoo Party for this delay?” asked Database Center For North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) Section Chief Yoon Yeo Sang. “There is no focus on the urgency of the human rights issue; people are instead bickering over positions.”
“Are we really working to ensure that people with experience and knowledge of North Korean human rights will get on the board of the foundation? The Minjoo Party is not the only organization to blame. The Saenuri Party is also moving to secure its own interests. Both are to blame for the delay,” Yoon concluded.
