Defector Lawmaker Proposes NKHR Bill

South Korea’s first defector lawmaker, Cho Myung Chul of the ruling Saenuri Party, has put his own variation on the ‘North Korea Human Rights Act’ to the National Assembly.

Revealing the news in a press release on Sunday, Cho asserted, “Since the North Korea Human Rights Act has respect for fundamental human values, it is going to help promote and improve North Korean human rights.”

“Human rights are about saving human life, the kind of precious value that cannot be compromised for the sake of an ideology or a philosophy,” he went on. “The continuing silence of the National Assembly on the subject of the situation in North Korea is tantamount to aiding and abetting the North Korean authorities’ human rights abuses.”

“We can delay the passing of the North Korea Human Right Act no longer. The ruling and opposition parties must leave party interests behind and pass this act as quickly as possible.”

Cho is the second lawmaker to propose a version of the bill, following another ruling party lawmaker, Yoon Sang Hyun, who proposed his own variation as soon as the 19th National Assembly opened.

There is very little difference between the two, with both promoting human rights dialogue, transparent aid delivery and the establishment of a North Korean Human Rights Foundation. The aim of the game is to pressure the opposition and keep the issue in the media spotlight.