Rep. Young Kim ( Republican , California ) , co-sponsor of the ‘ North Korea Human Rights Act Reauthorization Bill ‘ passed by the House on the 20th , said that the Senate must vote on the House bill in order for the bill to be processed during this session, and that whether that happens is key . Reporter Lee Sang-min met with Rep. Young Kim by phone on the 21st . Rep. Kim, who is the chairman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee , said that when looking at the North Korea Human Rights Act Reauthorization Bills introduced by the House and Senate, only the Senate bill includes a sanctions provision, while only the House bill includes a provision for separated family reunions. He said that it may take time to reconcile these differences, so it is important for the Senate to adopt and vote on the House bill that was passed this time in its entirety in order for the bill to be processed during this session ( by January 3 , 2025 ) . He also said that it is necessary to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance through close dialogue with South Korea so that the next Trump administration feels that there is no movement to withdraw U.S. troops from South Korea regarding its North Korea policy .
[ Reporter ] The North Korean Human Rights Act Reauthorization Bill passed the House plenary session . How do you feel about it ?
[ Rep. Young Kim ] This is a bill that I have been pushing for since I came to Congress . Since this bill has not been passed since 2022, it was one of the tasks that I really wanted to solve before the end of this session . So I am glad that it passed yesterday ( 11/20 ) . I would appreciate it if many of you who have been waiting and interested in it for a long time would now convey your hope that the senators will quickly pass it . [ Reporter ] What are your expectations for the passage of the North Korean Human Rights Act Reauthorization Bill in the Senate ? [ Rep . Young Kim ] In the Senate, Senator Mark Rubio is leading this issue, so my office staff and I will talk directly with Senator Rubio to discuss again why this bill is an important agenda that needs to be dealt with this session . I am seeing the opportunity to say that now, but I understand that Senator Rubio has been nominated as Secretary of State and is busy preparing for his confirmation . Still, I hope the Senate will quickly resolve this issue as we are interested in it .
[ Reporter ] Are there any issues or difficulties in passing this bill in the Senate ?
[ Rep. Young Kim ] If there is a slight difference between the bills submitted to the House and Senate, the Senate bill has a sanctions provision , while our House bill does not . Also, the House bill includes a provision for reunion of separated families, including Korean Americans, but I understand that the Senate does not have that . So we are cautious about the fact that if the Senate does not adopt the House bill that we passed as is, it will take time to coordinate with the House regarding the differences . That is why the most important thing is whether the Senate will accept what we passed in the House as is . My office staff and Senator Rubio’s office staff are talking about this .
[ Reporter ] What are the important provisions of the North Korea Human Rights Act reauthorization bill passed by the House of Representatives ?
[ Rep. Young Kim ] There are provisions for funding the United States Agency for Global Broadcasting (USAGM) for North Korea Free Radio , and for appointing a special envoy for North Korean human rights . The first thing I would like to ask Senator Rubio if he becomes Secretary of State is that the position of special envoy for North Korean human rights in the North Korea Human Rights Act cannot be left vacant . The special envoy for North Korean human rights has been vacant for about six years since 2017. There is a provision in this bill that the position cannot be left vacant for that long . There is a provision that if this position becomes vacant again, it cannot exceed 180 days, and if it does, the reason for the delay must be explained to Congress . This content is in both the House and Senate bills, and I hope that the North Korea Human Rights Act is reauthorized without these provisions being omitted .
[ Reporter ] The dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia has become a hot issue . Is there any discussion at the U.S. Congress level on how to respond to this ? [ Rep. Young Kim ] We haven’t had an official meeting on this issue since we returned this week after the election . I can tell you personally that it is unprecedented for North Korean soldiers to be sent to Russia as a supporter, and from what I’ve discussed with some members of Congress, it seems that China is very disappointed with this issue . Until now, China has played the role of North Korea’s big brother , but now that China’s influence over North Korea seems to have diminished, it’s very concerning that North Korea and Russia are not only procuring weapons but also sending soldiers . How the U.S. responds to this will likely affect how North Korea views South Korea . We ’re done talking about achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue . Kim Jong-un said the same thing . In that sense, what I am watching with interest as the Trump administration comes into power is that we need to strengthen the alliance with South Korea and have close dialogue with South Korea so that there is no movement at the US level to withdraw US troops from South Korea . [ Reporter ] There are speculations that when the second Trump administration comes into power, the goal of denuclearization could be abandoned in order to withdraw US troops from South Korea or to make a deal with North Korea. What do you think ?
[ Rep. Young Kim ] Although President Trump has not yet started his term, the fact that he has appointed Senator Rubio as Secretary of State gives us a rough idea of the direction he will take in Asia, especially with regard to South Korea and North Korea . What I want is for Senator Rubio to consider the role of special envoy for North Korean human rights as important when he becomes Secretary of State, and for him to continue to support North Korea through broadcasts to North Korea so that it can know the reality outside North Korea . As for national security policy, the people involved are still being confirmed, so we are watching carefully because we do not know who will advise President Trump on national security .
[ Reporter ] This was a conversation with Young Kim, the chairman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee . This is Lee Sang-min from RFA Radio Free Asia .
