July 19, 2019, by Robert King—
At a press conference last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the creation of a Commission on Unalienable Rights. He explained its purpose: “The commission is composed of human rights experts, philosophers, and activists, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents of varied background and beliefs, who will provide me with advice on human rights grounded in our nation’s founding principles and the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
The membership of the commission is a distinguished and diverse group of individuals, but the responsibility assigned to the commission seems to raise questions.
May 29, 2019, by Robert King—
Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign. Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Korean Central News Agency criticizing former vice president Joe Biden. .. Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign with the publication of…
May 15, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the importance of continuing efforts to increase access to outside information for the North Korean people and the Kim Jong-un’s regime efforts to limit access to foreign news, information and culture... North Korea has the abysmal “distinction” of ranking absolutely last of the 180 countries ranked…
April 30, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Washington Post that reported that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials to sign a pledge to pay a $2 million medical bill treatment of Otto Warmbier... Anna Fifield from the Washington Post reported on April 25 that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials…
March 5, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King assesses the implications of President Trump’s assertion that Kim Jong-un was not immediately aware of the details of Otto Warmbier’s critical condition at last week’s press conference in Hanoi... At a press conference following the ill-fated summit in Hanoi last week, President Donald Trump…
February 7, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert King analyzes the striking difference between President Trump’s treatment of North Korea’s human rights abuses in his State of the Union Speech in 2018 and in 2019... While commentators have observed striking similarities between President Donald Trump’s rhetoric in the State of the Union…
December 18, 2018, by Robert King—
After a silence of several months on North Korea’s human rights record, the U.S. government is again calling attention to the issue, as Ambassador Robert R. King writes in his commentary... After a silence of several months on North Korea’s human rights record, the U.S. government…
November 6, 2018, by Robert King—
During the last two and a half decades, one of the key North Korean humanitarian and human rights issues has been citizens of the North who choose to leave and flee to China... During the last two and a half decades, one of the key North Korean humanitarian…
September 4, 2018, by Robert King—
As we consider next steps in the relationship with the North, humanitarian engagement should definitely be one issue on the table... For much of the past year, international attention on North Korea has focused on its aggressive nuclear and missile programs and how to engage with...
July 12, 2018, by Robert King—
With the adoption of the reauthorization of the North Korea Human Rights Act, the Congress has emphatically reaffirmed that human rights remains a key element of U.S. policy toward the North Korea... On July 10 President Trump was presented with the final approved text of H.R. 2061 “to reauthorize…
