Dear Friend,

Last week, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, Women Cross DMZ and Korea Peace Now! hosted the panel discussion “Peace and Human Rights in North Korea: An Argument for Ending the War.”

The event explored the intersection of human rights and peace in the context of US-North Korea relations and the role of the unended Korean War. Speakers included Tomás Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea; Elizabeth Beavers, a national security and human rights attorney and advocate; and Su-mi Jeon, a South Korean human rights lawyer.

In case you missed it, here are some highlights from each speaker:

Tomás Ojea Quintana: “A peace settlement could allow for concrete treatment of human rights issues. … An opening for peace talks could allow for an opening in human rights cooperation and engagement.”

(click here or on the image above to watch)

Elizabeth Beavers: “There’s no reason to believe that continued militarism, sanctions, and pressure are helpful to the cause of human rights, nor should we believe that peace and normalized relations would be harmful to that cause…. That said, there are many reasons to believe a peace agreement, unlike our current militaristic policies, could lead to positive human rights outcomes.”

(click here or on the image above to watch)

Su-mi Jeon: “To improve the human rights of North Korean defectors, peace on the Korean Peninsula is desperately needed. In order for human rights and peace to coexist on the Korean Peninsula, we must think about human rights in both Koreas.”

(click here or on the image above to watch)

Watch the entire webinar here.

Also, read Elizabeth and Su-mi’s op-ed in The Hill about why human rights concerns should not be an obstacle to peace with North Korea. And read the remarks delivered by Korea Peace Now! consultant Youkyoung Ko to the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the importance of ending seven decades of war and hostilities.

To learn more about the implications of a peace agreement for human rights, download our one-page fact sheet from our Path to Peace report.

And as Christine Ahn recently noted in her recent NK News op-ed, an end of war declaration could help improve the security of Koreans and Americans.

As 2021 draws near to a close, we’re wishing for peace on earth and especially in Korea.

We’re able to continue our education, organizing, and advocacy work due to hundreds of donors who give large and small donations. Please help us continue our work in 2022 by making a tax-deductible donation today.

Happy holidays and happy new year.

Everyone at Women Cross DMZ