And the neoconservative perspective is that where human rights are trampled, free peoples should not be deterred from action by the supposed “sovereignty” of the trampler. Sic semper tyrranis.

My own guess was pretty far off. I should have realized that ‘progressives’ would never suggest that human rights in North Korea are improving.

One can’t improve on perfection.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ? ?? ??????.

Promoting North Korean human rights by advocating the collapse of the system threatens the right of self-determination and is also another human rights violation.

It seems the people opposing the human rights forum believes that countries should have the right to decide if they want to violate human rights.

I think the quote came from the following Korean, which was reported last night on the KBS 9 O’clock News:

? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ? ?? ??????.

Promoting North Korean human rights by advocating the collapse of the system threatens sovereign rights and is also another human rights violation.

By the way, the above is what the woman said in the news video, but the following is what was transcribed on the KBS news site:

“??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???.”

“On the contrary, talking of human rights is a violation of human rights, or if the method is anti-human rights, this is a serious worry and something that should be opposed.”

The KBS report did not quote anyone, but did paraphrase the following:

??????? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ????.

The North Korea Human Rights Forum, in the end, is really just being used as a weapon to attack the North’s system.

Here is the link to the KBS report, which seems to be trying to paint “Freedom House” and the others present at the conference as conservative goofballs with an agenda. Here is the lead-in to the KBS report:

??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ????.

Criticism is developing over an international conference on North Korean human rights, which was organizated by a conservative American human rights organization and is being held in Seoul.

Notice that the focus of the lead-in is not the human rights conference, but the criticism of the conference. Also, notice that KBS wants their viewers to know that those attending the conference are “conservative,” which is a dirty word to many in Korea. The reporter on the scene also begins his report by repeating the dirty word:

??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ?????????? 40?? ????? ?? ???? ????.

The “Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea” was organized by America’s conservative human rights organization, “Freedom House,” and was attended by “Headquarters for North Korean Demoncracy Movement” and more than forty convervative organizations, who are actively participating in the forum, which will run until the day after tomorrow.

The KBS report tries to downplay the conference by using the typical Korean media “but” statement at the end of its report to introduce and give almost equal billing to a small group who opposes the conference. The KBS report says the opposing group is “not insignificant,” but if you watch the video, you will notice just how insignificant the group appears to be.

I hate the obvious bias in Korean news reporting, but I still watch it for its entertainment value.