US Designates North Korea as 'Worst Human Trafficking Country' for 18 Consecutive Years

Pompeo: "We Will Punish Those Who Enslave and Inflict Suffering on People"
North Korea and Other U.S. Adversaries Including China, Russia, and Iran Also Designated as Worst Countries

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United States has designated North Korea as the worst human trafficking country for the 18th consecutive year. However, this year's designation is considered unusual as it was announced amid escalating North Korean provocations against South Korea and on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

On the 25th (local time), the U.S. Department of State released the "2020 Trafficking in Persons Report," designating North Korea as a Tier 3 country, indicating the lowest level of human trafficking monitoring and enforcement. North Korea has been classified as a Tier 3 country every year since 2003.

Tier 3 is the lowest of the three tiers used by the State Department to indicate a country's level of human trafficking monitoring and enforcement. It means the government of the country makes no efforts to prevent human trafficking and lacks even the minimum standards and regulations. Besides North Korea, the 19 countries designated as Tier 3 include China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, and Afghanistan. Most of these are known to be hostile to the United States.

The State Department's report pointed out that North Korea has utilized forced labor through the mass mobilization of adults and children, political prison camps and labor reeducation camps established as part of its political repression system, and forced labor of workers sent overseas. It further condemned North Korea as a country that practices human trafficking against its own citizens, stating that the profits from state-sponsored forced labor are used to fund government functions and other illegal activities.

The timing of the U.S. Department of State's announcement on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War is analyzed as part of a strategy to pressure North Korea. According to The Washington Post (WP), U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized at the report's release, "The United States will liberate people suffering under oppression from countries that engage in human trafficking against their own citizens," and added, "We will punish those who enslave and cause suffering to people."

Previously, in June 20 last year, when the North Korea-China summit was held, the U.S. Department of State designated North Korea as the worst human trafficking country, aiming to check the diplomatic closeness between North Korea and China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.