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January 23, 2018
U.S. Policy Toward North and South Korea: Dealing with "One Country, Two Planets"   Guest Speaker:  Aloysius M. O'Neill Retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.The event will feature Aloysius M. O'Neill, who will give a presentation entitled, "U.S. Policy Toward North and South Korea: Dealing with "One Country, Two Planets." Aloysius M. O’Neill worked for many years on U.S. relations with the Republic of Korea and to a lesser extent with the DPRK.  As a Foreign Service Officer, he served twice in the American Embassy in Seoul, first from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1988 to 1992.  In the latter period, he worked closely with Korean diplomatic colleagues on the ROK’s expanding relations with the DPRK’s allies under Nordpolitik.   As a political officer in Tokyo from 1982 to 1984, he analyzed Japan’s Asia policy during a period that included the Soviet shoot-down of Korean Air 007 and the Rangoon bombing – the North Korean attempt to assassinate President Chun Doo-hwan. Mr. O’Neill was serving in the American embassy in Rangoon when the North Koreans destroyed Korean Air 858 in 1987.  As the U.S. consul general in Okinawa from 1994 to 1997, Mr. O’Neill was deeply en
December 12, 2017
North Korea: The Land of Lousy Options Guest Speaker:  Gen. Wallace "Chip" Gregson (USMC, Ret) Senior Advisor, Avascent Global Advisors Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182   Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Tuesday, December 12, 2017. The event will feature Gen. Wallace "Chip" Gregson, who will give a presentation entitled, "North Korea: The Land of Lousy Options." ​Lieutenant General Wallace “Chip” Gregson (USMC, Ret.) is the Senior Advisor at Avascent International. He most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer for the United States Olympic Committee as an independent consultant before entering Government in 2009. In Japan, he was Director of Asia-Pacific Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1998 to 2000. From 2003 to 2005, he was Commanding General of the Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Marine Corps Forces Central Command, where he led and managed over 70,000 Marines and Sailors in the Middle East, East Africa, Asia, and the United States. From 2001 to 2003, he served as Commanding General of the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan, where he was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, the Gold and Silver Star; the Korean Order of National Security Merit, Gukseon Medal; and the Order of Resplendent Banner from the Republic of China. Please note: THIS EVENT IS ON-THE-RECORD PROGRAM DETAILS The reception will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm, and the speaker’s presentation and Q & A session. The program will conclude at 9:00 pm. The cost of the dinner is $25.00, payable at the door by either check o
December 12, 2017
The War Crimes Committee of the International Bar Association invites you to the launch of a Report on the findings of a nearly two-year Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Political Prisons.  The Inquiry Report finds reasonable grounds to conclude that Kim Jong-un and members of his regime have committed ten of the eleven crimes against humanity enumerated in the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court (ICC).
November 13, 2017
AGENDA Presenters: Robert Collins, Author Amanda Mortwedt Oh, Author Discussants: James Durand Member of the Board of Directors, International Council of Korean Studies Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Korean Studies  George Hutchinson Member of the Board of Directors, International Council of Korean Studies Editor, International Journal of Korean Studies  Mark Tokola Vice President, Korea Economic Institute Moderator:  Greg Scarlatoiu Executive Director, HRNK Q&A Closing Remarks The event will be on the record.  RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-cradle-to-grave-the-path-of-north-korean-innocents-tickets-39348193506 Please email Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs, at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
October 26, 2017
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) cordially invites you to: ​ THE PARALLEL GULAG: North Korea's "An-jeon-bu" Prison Camps Thursday, October 26, 2017 ​9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. National Press Club ​First Amendment Lounge 529 14th Street, NW  Washington, DC 20045 Opening Remarks Victor Cha, Korea Chair, CSIS Presenters David Hawk, Author Amanda Mortwedt Oh, HRNK Discussants Roberta Cohen, Co-Chair Emeritus, HRNK Stephen Noerper, Senior Director, Korea Society Moderator: Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director, HRNK Q&A Closing Remarks ​ The event will be on the record.  To RSVP for this event, please click to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-parallel-gulag-north-koreas-an-jeon-bu-prison-camps-tickets-38539427465?aff=es2 ​Please email Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. 
September 13, 2017
Korea Club Wednesday |  September 13, 2017 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Facing North: Managing North Korea's Military Challenge Guest Speaker:  Gen. In-Bum Chun (ROK, Ret) Visiting Scholar, U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS Visiting Fellow, Center for East Asia Policy, Brookings Institution Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Wednesday, September 13, 2017. The event will feature Gen. In-Bum Chun, who will give a presentation entitled, "Facing North: Managing North Korea's Military Challenge." Lieutenant General In-Bum Chun (ROK, Ret) is a Visiting Scholar at U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS and Visiting Fellow at the Center for East Asia Policy Studies of the B
July 25, 2017
  PROGRAM  Date: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 Venue: International Conference Hall B2, Minerva Complex, HUFS 1. Opening of Ceremony --------------------------------------- Greg Scarlatoiu Moderator Executive Director, HRNK 2. Keynote Speech --------------------------------------- H.E. Jung-Hoon Lee              Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea “North Korean Human Rights: Past, Present, Future” 3. Speakers -----------------------------------------------------------Signe Poulsen Representative, UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (Seoul) “The Balance between Accountability and Engagement” Kwang-Jin Kim Senior Researcher, ROK Institute for National Security Strategy “An Update on Kim Regime Dynamics and Overseas Economic Activities” Kwang-Il Jeong Political Prison Camp Survivor Director and Founder, “No Fence for North Korea” “From Political Prison Camp Survivor to Information Warrior
June 22, 2017
THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON KOREAN STUDIES jointly with COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA AND KOREA ECONOMIC INSTITUTE OF AMERICA THE CHANGING SITUATION ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA: CHALLENGES FOR NEW PRESIDENTS IN 2017 June 22, 2017, Thursday Korea Economic Institute of America 1800 K Street, NW Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006 Click here to RSVP Conference Schedule: 8:00 AM Registration 8:45–9:00 AM Opening Remarks Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr., President International Council of Korean Studies and Angelo State University
June 07, 2017
Korea Club  Wednesday |  June 7, 2017 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm  U.S. Korea Policy: Issues, Priorities, Prospects Guest Speakers:  James Applegate Chief of DPRK Unit in the Office of Korean Affairs U.S. Department of State & Will Cobb Chief of ROK Unit in the Office of Korean Affairs  U.S. Department of State Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182   Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Wednesday, June 7, 2017. The event will feature Mr. James Applegate, Chief of DPRK Unit and Mr. Will Cobb, Chief of ROK Unit at the Office of Korean Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, who will give a presentation entitled, "U.S. Korea Policy: Issues, Priorities, Prospects." James ApplegateJames Applegate is the Chief of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Unit in the Office of Korean Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.  Prior to taking this assignment, Mr. Applegate served as Deputy Counselor for United Nations Affairs at the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, Austria (UNVIE) (2013-2016).  His other overseas assignments include Kabul, Afghanistan (2012-2013); Canberra, Australia (2009-2011); and Guangzhou, China (2007-2009).  He also served as a Watch Officer and Senior Watch Officer in the Department’s 24-hour Operations Center, which monitors developing crises around the world.  A graduate of Michigan State University, Mr. Applegate spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia before joining the Foreign Service.  Will CobbWill Cobb is the Chief of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Unit in the Office of Korean Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.  Prior to taking this assignment, Mr. Cobb served as a Special Assistant to Secretary of Sta
May 10, 2017
Korea Club  Tuesday |  May 10, 2017 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm   South Korea-U.S. Relations: Past, Present, Future   Guest Speaker:  His Excellency Ahn Ho-young Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States   Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. The event will feature His Excellency Ahn Ho-young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, who will give a presentation entitled, "South Korea-U.S. Relations: Past, Present, Future."   Ambassador Ho-young Ahn is the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to the United States. He began his posting in June of 2013. Ambassador Ahn is a career diplomat who has served as the Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, and as First Vice Foreign Minister. ​
April 24, 2017
On the first day of North Korea Freedom Week, The George Washington University Truth and Human Rights in North Korea (THiNK) cordially invites you to:  North Korea’s Gulag: Addressing an Ongoing Humanitarian Emergency Monday, April 24, 2017 | 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. GWU Betts Theater Marvin Center 800 21st Street, NW  Washington, DC 20052 1:00–1:05 p.m. | Welcoming Remarks
April 05, 2017
Korea Club  Wednesday |  April 5, 2017 6:30–9:00PM North Korean Refugee Settlement in the ROK: An Update Guest Speaker:  Kwang-joo Sohn Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. The event will feature Kwang-joo Sohn, who will give a presentation entitled, "North Korean Refugee Settlement in ROK: An Update." Kwang-joo Sohn is the President of Korea Hana Foundation (North Korean Refugees Foundation), an organization established under the ROK Ministry of Unification. Previously, Mr. Sohn led the DailyNK Korea Unification Strategy Institute and served as the chief editor for the DailyNK. He also led the Ideology Research Center, Institute for International Affairs Research, ROK National Intelligence Service (NIS), was a member of the NIS Unification Policy Institute Research Committee, and of the advisory committee of the 17th Presidential Transition Team in 2008. Mr. Sohn has been a member of the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights since 2007. A former reporter for the Dong-A Daily, Mr. Sohn holds a BA in French language and literature from Korea University and completed the Graduate School of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University. For two years, he studied under Hwang Jang-yeop, former president of Kim Il-sung University and most senior North Korean defector to the ROK. He has authored numerous articles and columns as well as six books on the inner workings of the Kim regime. Please note, this EVENT WILL BE OFF THE RECORD.   PROGRAM DETAILS The reception will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm, and the speaker’s presentation and Q & A session. The program will conclude at 9:00 pm. The
March 27, 2017
North Korea’s human rights abuses: The crimes of a belligerent state Monday, March 27, 2017 | 10:00 AM–3:40 PM Lunch will be served. AEI, Auditorium | 1789 Massachusetts Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20036 For US policy, defending human rights in North Korea is not only a moral imperative but also an essential element to reducing the regime’s threats to the rest of the world. RSVP Watch Live Online    DESCRIPTION Pyongyang is the world’s worst human rights violator, and yet, the Kim regime’s behavior at home cannot be dismissed as an isolated threat far from America’s shores, as North Korea’s latest atrocities abroad — overseas assassinations, rocket launches, and nuclear threats — demonstrate. For US policy, defending human rights in North Korea is not only a moral imperative but also an essential element to reducing the danger the regime poses to the world. Please join AEI, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and the Yonsei Center for Human Liberty on March 27 — the third anniversary of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s endorsement of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights report on North Korea — for an expert update on the human rights situation in North Korea and a discussion of how Washington and its allies in the region can seek to improve it. PARTICIPANTS Virginia Bennett, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Nicholas Eberstad
March 09, 2017
Korea Club Thursday | March 9, 2017 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm North Korea and the Mission to Account for America's Missing Korean War Servicemen Guest Speaker:  Col. Ashton Ormes (USA Ret.) Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Thursday, March 9, 2017. The event will feature Col. Ashton Ormes, who will give a presentation entitled, "North Korea and the Mission to Account for America's Missing Korean War Servicemen."   Ashton Ormes is a retired U.S. Army colonel, a Northeast Asia Foreign Area Officer, and a former civilian member of th
March 01, 2017
Join St. Mary’s University for the North Korea: Challenges and Opportunities conference featuring experts from around the globe. The program will delve into timely issues about North Korea’s military, international community, engagement and diplomacy. Wednesaday, March 1, 2017 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Mary’s University University Center, Conference Room A Reception to follow
December 16, 2016
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) ​cordially invite you to:  ​Expert Meeting: U.S. and ROK Policy toward North Korean Human Rights
November 17, 2016
Dear Colleague: You are invited to attend a meeting of the Korea Club on Thursday, November 17, 2016. The event will feature Ambassador Joseph
September 07, 2016
    Korea Club with Markus Garlauskas Wednesday | September 7, 2016 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm  A Changing North Korea Guest Speaker: Markus Garlauskas Woo Lae Oak Korean Restaurant 8240 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182 &
July 26, 2016
Please click here to view the full agenda. 
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This report proposes a long-term, multilateral legal strategy, using existing United Nations resolutions and conventions, and U.S. statutes that are either codified or proposed in appended model legislation, to find, freeze, forfeit, and deposit the proceeds of the North Korean government's kleptocracy into international escrow. These funds would be available for limited, case-by-case disbursements to provide food and medical care for poor North Koreans, and--contingent upon Pyongyang's progress

National Strategy for Countering North Korea
Joseph, Collins, DeTrani, Eberstadt, Enos, Maxwell, Scarlatoiu
Jan 23, 2023

For thirty years, U.S. North Korea policy have sacrificed human rights for the sake of addressing nuclear weapons. Both the North Korean nuclear and missile programs have thrived. Sidelining human rights to appease the North Korean regime is not the answer, but a fundamental flaw in U.S. policy. (Published by the National Institute for Public Policy)

North Korea’s forced labor enterprise and its state sponsorship of human trafficking certainly continued until the onset of the COVID pandemic. HRNK has endeavored to determine if North Korean entities responsible for exporting workers to China and Russia continued their activities under COVID as well.

George Hutchinson's The Suryong, the Soldier, and Information in the KPA is the second of three building blocks of a multi-year HRNK project to examine North Korea's information environment. Hutchinson's thoroughly researched and sourced report addresses the circulation of information within the Korean People's Army (KPA). Understanding how KPA soldiers receive their information is needed to prepare information campaigns while taking into account all possible contingenc

North Korea’s Political Prison Camp, Kwan-li-so No. 14, Update 1
Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, and Amanda Mortwedt Oh
Dec 22, 2021

This report is part of a comprehensive long-term project undertaken by HRNK to use satellite imagery and former prisoner interviews to shed light on human suffering in North Korea by monitoring activity at political prison facilities throughout the nation. This is the second HRNK satellite imagery report detailing activity observed during 2015 to 2021 at a prison facility commonly identified by former prisoners and researchers as “Kwan-li-so No. 14 Kaech’ŏn” (39.646810, 126.117058) and

North Korea's Long-term Prison-Labor Facility, Kyo-hwa-so No.3, T’osŏng-ni (토성리)
Joseph S Bermudez Jr, Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Oh, & Rosa Tokola
Nov 03, 2021

This report is part of a comprehensive long-term project undertaken by HRNK to use satellite imagery and former prisoner interviews to shed light on human suffering in North Korea by monitoring activity at civil and political prison facilities throughout the nation. This study details activity observed during 1968–1977 and 2002–2021 at a prison facility commonly identified by former prisoners and researchers as "Kyo-hwa-so No. 3, T'osŏng-ni" and endeavors to e

North Korea’s Political Prison Camp, Kwan-li-so No. 25, Update 3
Joseph S Bermudez Jr, Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Oh, & Rosa Tokola
Sep 30, 2021

This report is part of a comprehensive long-term project undertaken by HRNK to use satellite imagery and former detainee interviews to shed light on human suffering in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, more commonly known as North Korea) by monitoring activity at political prison facilities throughout the nation. This report provides an abbreviated update to our previous reports on a long-term political prison commonly identified by former prisoners and researchers as Kwan-li-so

North Korea’s Potential Long-Term  Prison-Labor Facility at Sŏnhwa-dong (선화동)
Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Oh, & Rosa Park
Aug 26, 2021

Through satellite imagery analysis and witness testimony, HRNK has identified a previously unknown potential kyo-hwa-so long-term prison-labor facility at Sŏnhwa-dong (선화동) P’ihyŏn-gun, P’yŏngan-bukto, North Korea. While this facility appears to be operational and well maintained, further imagery analysis and witness testimony collection will be necessary in order to irrefutably confirm that Sŏnhwa-dong is a kyo-hwa-so.

North Korea’s Long-term Prison-Labor Facility Kyo-hwa-so No. 8, Sŭngho-ri (승호리) - Update
Joseph S Bermudez, Jr, Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda M Oh, & Rosa Park
Jul 22, 2021

"North Korea’s Long-term Prison-Labor Facility Kyo-hwa-so No. 8, Sŭngho-ri (승호리) - Update" is the latest report under a long-term project employing satellite imagery analysis and former political prisoner testimony to shed light on human suffering in North Korea's prison camps.

Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of Korea: The Role of the United Nations" is HRNK's 50th report in our 20-year history. This is even more meaningful as David Hawk's "Hidden Gulag" (2003) was the first report published by HRNK. In his latest report, Hawk details efforts by many UN member states and by the UN’s committees, projects and procedures to promote and protect human rights in the DPRK.  The report highlights North Korea’s shifts in its approach

South Africa’s Apartheid and North Korea’s Songbun: Parallels in Crimes against Humanity by Robert Collins underlines similarities between two systematically, deliberately, and thoroughly discriminatory repressive systems. This project began with expert testimony Collins submitted as part of a joint investigation and documentation project scrutinizing human rights violations committed at North Korea’s short-term detention facilities, conducted by the Committee for Human Rights