North Korea’s systematic, egregious human rights violations are well-documented. The people of North Korea continue to suffer under the government’s policies of arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial killings, human trafficking, and forced abortion, and due to the regime’s complete disregard for freedom of speech, religion, assembly, or movement.

While speaking out against North Korea’s oppression of its own people, the United States has long prioritized efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear aspirations. At the Singapore Summit in June 2018, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un engaged in negotiations towards a broad agreement that would protect the security interests of both countries and create sustainable peace in the region.

As negotiations continue, what role should human rights play in these talks? Rights advocates argue that incorporating human rights indicators into a deal between the two countries is critically important both as a measure of good faith from a regime that has proven impossible to trust, and because a country that perpetrates crimes against humanity will continue to breed global instability. Witnesses will discuss why human rights are strategic for ongoing engagement, how they are linked to international security, and will offer recommendations to Congress on what integrating human rights into the security discussion could look like in practicality.

The hearing can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahf1yZscFk.