South Korea Turns Up Heat on Kim Jong Un With Hawkish Pointman

The Unification Ministry in March for the first time publicly released its government assessment of North Korea’s human rights record. The report said Pyongyang, which has bristled for years over global criticism of its rights record, uses public executions to strike fear into its public and tramples over the freedom of its people.

“It appears Yoon wanted someone who can carry out his unification policy based on the protection of liberal democratic values,” said Duyeon Kim, an adjunct senior fellow in Seoul at the Center for a New American Security.

“Kim’s appointment signals that Seoul will remain principled when dealing with North Korea,” she said, adding that Kim Yung-ho has argued for tackling North Korea’s human rights head on and has experience in a previous South Korean government.

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