US Denies 'Inhumane Support and Funding' to Countries with Severe Human Trafficking Including North Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The White House announced that through a memorandum issued under the name of U.S. President Donald Trump, it has directed that no support be provided to countries ranked as tiered lower in human trafficking conditions for the 2021 fiscal year. Accordingly, non-humanitarian and non-trade-related assistance will not be provided to countries known to still have severe human trafficking situations, such as North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia.

On the 1st (local time), according to the White House, under the presidential memorandum directing that no support be provided to countries ranked lower in human trafficking conditions for the 2021 fiscal year, non-humanitarian and non-trade-related assistance will not be allowed for countries that fail to meet the human trafficking elimination standards under the U.S. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, until they comply with the minimum standards or make significant efforts to comply with them.

Accordingly, the Trump administration will not provide non-humanitarian and non-trade-related assistance related to COVID-19, Ebola virus disease, or meeting the minimum standards for human trafficking elimination to Burundi, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria. In particular, for Cuba, North Korea, and Syria, non-humanitarian and non-trade-related assistance or funding will not be allowed for education and cultural exchange programs conducted by government officials or employees of those countries.

However, humanitarian aid, trade-related support, or development assistance that directly addresses basic human needs, is not managed by the governments of these countries, and does not benefit those governments, are excluded.

According to the U.S. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, the State Department publishes an annual report on the human trafficking situation in each country, and the administration takes responsive measures against countries rated in the lower tiers. In June, the U.S. State Department classified North Korea as a tier 3 country, the lowest tier, in the '2020 Trafficking in Persons Report,' which included a total of 19 countries such as China, Iran, Cuba, and Syria in tier 3.

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