First Lady Kim Geon-hee Discusses North Korean Human Rights with Defectors in Washington DC

Ensuring Safe Lives for North Korean Residents
Meeting with Otto Warmbier's Mother to Offer Condolences
Urging Attention to Resolving North Korean Human Rights Issues

Kim Geon-hee, the wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United States, met with North Korean defectors in Washington DC on the 26th (local time) to discuss North Korean human rights issues.

On the afternoon of the same day, Kim met with North Korea experts and defectors engaged in North Korean human rights improvement activities at the Korean Empire Legation in Washington DC, where she exchanged views on North Korea's human rights issues and directions for improvement, according to a written briefing by Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.

Kim said, "Our government published the '2023 North Korea Human Rights Report' for the first time last month to widely raise awareness of the reality of human rights in North Korea," adding, "The international community needs to cooperate so that North Korean residents can enjoy a safer life, even if only a little."

Regarding Otto Warmbier, an American who was detained in North Korea and released in a coma before passing away, Kim expressed condolences to his mother, saying, "The news of your son was a great shock not only to me but to all our people."

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, is seen conversing with the mother of Otto Warmbier, who was detained in North Korea and released in a coma, at the Korean Empire Legation in Washington DC on the 26th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

After hearing the stories of attendees who defected after witnessing the reality of human rights in North Korea, the support for defector scholarship students by Otto Warmbier’s mother, and the current activities of North Korean human rights organizations, Kim emphasized, "The entire international community must unite to raise awareness of the harsh human rights situation of North Korean residents and strive for improvement."

Kim also introduced that "In a meeting with First Lady Jill Biden prior to this roundtable, I emphasized that North Korean human rights issues are a very serious matter that both South Korea and the United States should pay attention to, and First Lady Biden agreed."

Furthermore, she said, "The South Korean government's determination to resolve North Korean human rights issues is stronger than ever," and urged, "Please continue to take an interest and keep watching."

Participants highly evaluated that the South Korean government, which upholds freedom and democracy as core values, and the ROK-US alliance share a unified perspective on the need to improve North Korean human rights, and expressed hope that a message of hope for human rights improvement will reach North Korean residents, the spokesperson said.

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