Promoting Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law

Governance, Human Rights
, by One of the most important recent steps forward was the creation of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on DPRK human rights violations and its ground-breaking report which was issued in 2014. That report concluded that the DPRK regime systematically violated the human rights of its own people—including freedom of thought, expression and religion; freedom from discrimination; freedom of movement and residence; and the right to food.

Travel to North Korea: Should it be Prohibited in the Aftermath of American Student’s Death?

Foreign Affairs, Governance, Human Rights
, by The tragic death of Otto Warmbier has again raised the question of whether travel to North Korea ought to be prohibited by the United States government. Prohibiting travel by Americans to North Korea has been talked about for some time, primarily on Capitol Hill. Arguments for a travel ban are (1) to protect the safety and wellbeing of American citizens; and (2) travel is a source of hard currency for the Kim regime which goes to the “royal economy” for imported French cognac and luxury automobiles for the young leader, as well as to fund nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

China-North Korea High Level Visits Since 1953

Foreign Affairs
To examine the closeness of the China-North Korea relationship, Beyond Parallel created an original dataset of all high-level visits between the two countries from 1953 to the present... To examine the closeness of the China-North Korea relationship, Beyond Parallel created an original dataset…

North Korea: The European Union Could Help Break the Diplomatic Stalemate

Foreign Affairs, Military, Nuclear Weapons
Soldiers march during a mass military parade at Kim Il-Sung square in Pyongyang on October 10, 2015. North Korea was marking the 70th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party. Photo Credit: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images.
, by North Korea’s continued progress on its nuclear and missile programs remains one of the most significant challenges... North Korea’s continued progress on its nuclear and missile programs remains one of the most significant challenges to the international community. This is why the adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution that closes…

Toward a New Policy and Strategy for North Korea

Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Nuclear Weapons
A new report titled “Toward a New Policy and Strategy for North Korea co-authored by Dr. Victor Cha and Ambassador Robert Gallucci was published this month. The report seeks to bridge the gap between the national security and human rights communities and argues for a new U.S. policy that integrates efforts toward dealing with North Korean security threats with approaches that focus on human freedom in the country.