Since the late ’90s, when voices concerned with North Korean human rights surfaced within South Korean society, human rights were considered as belonging to the conservative right wing. To the pro-North Korea left wing, which see North Korea’s Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il regimes as more legitimate, ‘North Korean human rights’ was a taboo subject.
Even now, after North Korea’s gruesome human rights record has been thoroughly exposed, the pro-North Korea leftists have kept silent on the human rights issue. However, a courageous person from the left recently rose up to announce, “We must now take an interest in the North Korean human rights issue.” Some people even questioned whether or not he is truly of the left.
As a result, the left wingers have called him a “traitor.” But regardless, he has spoken his mind at North Korea human rights-related talks without shrinking from the limelight.
Such a hero is joint representative of Social Democratic Solidarity Joo Dae Hwan, previously the party policy committee chair of the former Democratic Labor Party. Representative Joo met with Daily NK on the 1st.
For pro-North Korea leftist figures, an interview with the “Daily NK” is usually avoided at all costs. However, for Joo, the interview with a reporter from Daily NK did not differ much from interviews he has given to other media organizations.
Representative Joo said at a North Korean international conference called “2008 North Korean Human Rights Citizens’ Campaign,” held on September 26 that “The left wing of Korean politics has to abandon its double standard regarding the North Korean human rights issue. Meanwhile, the conservatives have come under scrutiny for the possibility that their true purpose may be opposing the North rather than improving human rights.”
He criticized further, saying, “The progressive camp has ignored the North Korea human rights issue using all kinds of excuses, while looking on North Koreans’ difficulties unconcernedly. Now, the North Korean human rights issue must go beyond the left and right to the issue of the universality of mankind by becoming less ideological and more depoliticized.”
Joo, who acted as the brains of the People’s Democracy (PD) camp within the Democratic Labor Party, is a reproach to his fellow leftists with whom he has lived under the same roof like a family.
Representative Joo cited the reason for the disinterest of the leftists regarding North Korean human rights, “The leftist power was not free in its relationship with Kim Dae Jung. That administration could wait for a reaction from the North, but so did the progressive powers, even though they didn’t have to.”
He evaluated this situation, saying, “This was because progressive powers ultimately played the role of assistant to the Kim Dae Jung administration. There was not so much a change in their ideology, but rather, an excess of politics was the issue.”
Representative Joo said regarding the Sunshine Policy, “When considering the situation at the time, I do not think that the Sunshine Policy was appropriate. Actually, I’m not even saying that the Sunshine Policy was progressive. A progressive policy has to be one for the North Korean citizens, but Sunshine did not achieve this.”
He added, “From a North Korean citizen’s perspective, Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun, people who could smile with the dictator without concern, are fundamentally unhelpful.”
Also, he said, “Goods have been going into North Korea, which accounts for some of the recent changes. Commodities marked with the symbol of South Korea have circulated and businesses such as the Kaesong Complex show the potential of shaking the foundations of the North Korean regime’s isolationism.”
Regarding the New Left movement Social Democratic Solidarity, which is led by Joo, he said, “We are aiming for a welfare state. Activities will be centered on the perspective of universal human rights which do not get caught up in a nation, unification, and pro and anti-North Korea issues of the New Left movement.”
Moreover, he said with regards to differentiating between leftist and rightist camps in the future, “The notion of ‘pro-North’ and ‘anti-North’ has to be separated. Only then can society and citizens become developed.” He emphasized that “If many people in the progressive camp propose the North Korean human rights issue, it will pose a huge threat to the North Korean regime.”
