한나라당의 ‘북한인권’ 관련 법안에 대한 인권적 해석

Abstract

A new approach to North Korea based on the concept of reciprocality is expected to supplant the ‘Sunshine policy’ of Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun. The policy on North Korea of Lee Myung Bak, the 17th South Korean President, is “Vision 3000: Denuclearization and Openness.” Simply put, if North Korea denuclearizes and opens, he will make North Korea’s national income 3,000 dollars per person. In regard to humanitarian assistance, Lee clearly states that he would adopt the principle of reciprocity, suggesting that the assistance proceed in parallel with the denuclearization efforts. With respect to individuals kidnapped by the North, Lee said his government would try to identify the fate of the missing and promote a reunion between the missing and their family and repatriation. And Lee said that his government would try to solve the country’s urgent human rights crisis even if that could somewhat hurt the South’s relations with the North, and that while working to advance the North’s human rights situation, his government would put into consideration the North’s nuclear problem and the overall relations between the North and South. Government has joined the EU and Japan in sponsoring a UN resolution on North Korean human rights for the first time. Furthermore, the ruling Grand National Party(GNP) submitted a human rights bill for North Korea once again to the 18th National Assembly. In the 17th National Assembly, the bill was not even placed on the agenda due to opposition from the former Roh Moo Hyun government and the then ruling Uri Party. The proposed human rights bill was based on the original bill, and included suggestions from NGOs dedicated to North Korean human rights. The bill has the following clauses: to create within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of South Korea a new post of human rights ambassador who will cooperate with the international community to improve the human rights situation in North Korea; to install a North Korean human rights advisory committee at the Ministry of Unification; to establish a North Korean Human Rights Record Depository within the National Human Rights Commission of Korea; to establish within the Ministry of Unification a project team which will handle the issues of POWs and abductees; to educate the human rights situation in North Korea when providing education programs on unification issues; to resume broadcasts toward North Korea and provide financial support for private organizations that undertake such radio broadcasts; and to increase support for NGO dedicated to North Korean human rights. However, Lee Myung Bak government and the GNP are trying to present the North Korean Human Rights Bill that will cause further tension in inter-Korean relations, and the bill will not be consistent with the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Above all, now is the time to transform the inter-Korean relationship into a structure for permanent peace and cooperation through dialogue.