ROK ACADEMICS OFFER MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO

UNCLAS SEOUL 004261

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL KS KN CH
SUBJECT: ROK ACADEMICS OFFER MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO
DPRK HUMAN RIGHTS


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Several conservative ROK academics urged a
multi-pronged approach toward North Korean human rights,
arguing that the U.S. should take larger number of refugees,
continue sanctions and increase radio broadcasts into North
Korea, while providing humanitarian assistance and promoting
exchanges with North Korean officials. Such an approach,
they reasoned, would get information about the outside world
into the closed country while prompting other countries,
including the ROK, to do more to help North Korean refugees.
This approach would ultimately undermine support for the
regime from within, the only way to improve the human rights
situation, while insulating against criticism that the U.S.
was seeking regime change, they argued. END SUMMARY.

ADMIT MORE NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES...
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2. (SBU) In separate conversations with Poloffs in late
November and early December, several conservative ROK
academics argued that to effectively address the human rights
situation in North Korea, the international community needed
to take a multi-dimensional approach. Won Jae-chun, human
rights law scholar at Handong Global University, assessed
that the North Korean refugee issue could play a key role in
developing a winning approach to North Korean human rights
issues. Won said that the U.S. should take significantly
larger numbers of North Korean refugees, and criticized the
ROK for not taking a more proactive stance in extending
protection to all North Koreans in third countries, which he
said it could legally do under its Constitution. Kookmin
University North Korea scholar Andrei Lankov similarly
criticized the ROK for failing to do more to help North
Koreans in third countries.


3. (SBU) Won argued that U.S. admission of significant
numbers of North Korean refugees would encourage the ROK to
do more and demonstrate that the U.S. is committed to
assisting North Koreans in need, not simply using the issue
as a political tool against the North Korean regime. At the
same time, the U.S. should press European countries to take
North Korean refugees from third countries, and put concerted
pressure on China to recognize North Koreans as refugees, Won
said. Heo Man-ho, a human rights scholar at Kyungpook
National University, said that the U.S. is the only country
capable of levying sufficient pressure on China to force it
to comply with its obligations under the refugee convention.


4. (SBU) To make the most effective argument about the
humanitarian nature of its actions, and to assist those in
greatest need, Won and Heo emphasized that the U.S. should
focus its efforts on helping the most vulnerable groups of
refugees, such as children born in China to North Korean
mothers and Chinese fathers.

...WHILE INCREASING ENGAGEMENT
--------------


5. (SBU) Won stressed that the U.S. should also increase
humanitarian assistance to the DPRK and facilitate exchanges
with government officials. Contact with North Korean
officials was essential to encouraging the DPRK to open and
reform. Heo agreed on the importance of exchanges, which was
the only way to improve the human rights and humanitarian
situation in North Korea and eliminate the root cause of the
North Korean refugee problem. The most realistic way to
build anti-Kim Jong-il sentiment from within was by exposing
North Koreans to information about the outside world.
Exchanges involving North Korean officials in the long-run
would prepare such officials to oppose the Kim regime, he
said. Andrei Lankov similarly encouraged increased exchanges
with North Korean officials, stating that change would take
quiet, systematic work over time. Providing North Koreans
with opportunities to obtain education and other training
abroad was a crucial way to effect change. Won noted that
inter-Korean projects at Kaesong and Kumgang also played an
important role in facilitating contact between North Koreans
and the outside world, and are setting the foundation for
unification. Radio broadcasts into North Korea are also an
important mechanism for getting outside information inside
the DPRK's borders, according to Won and Lankov.


6. (SBU) While urging increased engagement, Heo praised the
imposition of sanctions on North Korea, particularly the ban
on luxury goods, as important steps that could help undermine
the regime.


7. (SBU) Won argued that increasing engagement with the DPRK
and increasing humanitarian assistance, while taking larger
numbers of refugees and increasing radio broadcasts, would
insulate the U.S. to charges from leftist groups and the ROKG
that it was seeking regime change. In practice, however,
this approach would quietly undermine the regime by
encouraging opening from within and building international
consensus around the refugee issue.

BUILDING A MULTILATERAL FRAMEWORK
--------------


8. (SBU) Heo asked about the North Korea Human Rights Act's
reference to the creation of a Helsinki process to address
North Korean human rights. Heo said that there should be a
mechanism to resolve human rights issues in Northeast Asia,
pointing out that the region lacks the frameworks that exist
in other parts of the world. The political will to create
such a mechanism in the region and address North Korean human
rights depends on North Korea's neighbors, and the U.S.
should press those countries to support the creation of such
a framework, Heo said.


9. (SBU) Lee Tai-hwan, Sejong Institute Senior Research
Fellow and China Study Committee Chairman, assessed that
concerted international effort on the DPRK and China would be
required to compel improvement in North Korean human rights
and the situation of North Korean refugees. International
pressure on North Korean human rights and Chinese treatment
of North Korean refugees would increase the chance that China
would respond, as it would not want to lose face.
International pressure would also create more space for the
ROKG to take a greater role in these issues. In particular,
Lee suggested creating a trilateral consultative framework
with U.S., ROK and Chinese academics or NGOs on North Korean
refugee issues as an initial step toward shifting the Chinese
position.

COMMENT
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10. (SBU) In the wake of the North Korean nuclear test two
months ago, a larger segment of the Korean population is
beginning to question the Roh government's engagement policy.
As we head into the 2007 presidential elections, the ideas
articulated by these academics -- especially those that link
engagement with reciprocity -- will likely gain more
traction. END COMMENT.
VERSHBOW