“We spoke about the importance of raising international consciousness on the issue of human rights in North Korea and the terrible deprivation of human rights by that regime.”
“He's taken a very personal interest and a fairly significant interest in the issue of human rights. He fundamentally believes the character of the North Korean regime is defined by its human rights conduct.”
“A lot of what goes on over there is shrouded in such secrecy. The North Koreans have made it very, very hard to get out. Over the years, a lot of people have been sent back over the border. In this instance, we had a name. It was very appropriate for the international community to call it out.”
“The United States has a tradition of being a refuge to vulnerable people seeking haven from despotic regimes, and we will do our part to help this vulnerable population.”
“The issue of human rights is a national security issue for us and while we have lots of issues to address with North Korea and we have lots of issues to address with China, the prism through which we evaluate their conduct is very much a human rights prism.”
