US House Human Rights Committee to Hold Virtual Hearing on North Korea Leaflet Ban Law on the 15th (Update)

"Concerns Over Obstruction of Efforts to Promote North Korean Human Rights"
Former and Current U.S. State Department Officials, Human Rights Experts Expected to Attend

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a human rights committee under the U.S. House of Representatives, announced that it will hold a virtual hearing on the North Korea leaflet ban law on the 15th (local time). U.S. political circles have expressed concerns that the North Korea leaflet ban law, which has been in effect since December last year, could hinder efforts to promote human rights in North Korea, and announced plans to hold the hearing.

On the 8th (local time), the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission announced on its website that it will hold a virtual hearing on the North Korea leaflet ban law on the 15th. In the announcement, the commission stated, "Recent international attention has focused on the 'North Korea Leaflet Ban Law,' which has been controversial since its passage by the South Korean National Assembly last December," adding, "Some observers have expressed concerns that this law could obstruct efforts to promote human rights in North Korea, including U.S. government-funded programs that distribute USB drives containing information about the outside world to North Korea," explaining the reason for holding the hearing.

Previously, the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling party enacted the North Korea leaflet ban law as a measure to protect the lives and safety of residents in border areas, and it has been in effect since the end of last month. This law amends the Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations and punishes broadcasting loudspeakers and leaflet distribution near the Military Demarcation Line with up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million won.

The U.S. Department of State also addressed the North Korea leaflet ban law as a significant human rights issue in the South Korea section of its '2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,' released on the 30th of last month. The report cited the law as an example, stating that some human rights organizations claim the Moon administration restricted the activities of certain NGOs focused on North Korea, and also included the cancellation of the establishment of the 'Free North Korea Movement Alliance' and 'Keun Saem,' founded by North Korean defectors Park Sang-hak and Park Jung-oh.

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