Peace Forum in Washington DC Postponed Due to COVID-19

2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, which broke out on June 25, 1950.  Korea Peace Now, a grassroots peace activist network, was organizing a peace forum in Washington DC to raise a unified voice for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Unfortunately, due to travel constraints from COVID-19 the Korea Peace Forum has been postponed from March to July.

It is imperative that we continue to strive for peace on the Korean Peninsula. From my twelve plus years of living and working in the DPRK, I have personally witnessed how North Koreans live as if they are at war. In almost every workplace there are banners posted that state, “War Zone”, and every year the government issues 50, 70, sometimes a 100 days of war effort to accomplish their political objectives for the year.

When my husband and I first started working as humanitarian workers in North Korea, we were cautious and defensive and even combative at times because of what we believed about North Koreans. But the more time we spent there, the more we learned to trust one another and develop deep friendships with the people. My husband and I discovered that the more we understood North Koreans the more we were able to work together with positive results.

One of our most surprising relationships came from our first humanitarian North Korean counterpart. This first escort or guide paved the way for my husband, Dr. Stephen Yoon, to treat patients in the DPRK. Foreign doctors often do not have the privilege to treat local people in North Korea, but from our first visits into the northeast region, we began to treat patients with muscular-skeletal disorders.

Through our experiences in treating local North Korean patients, I can testify that the Korean people are suffering as a result of their constant state of war. What we in the United States often fail to realize is that North Koreans are people just like you and me.  They, too, have families with the same concerns that we have. They, too, even have children with special needs. Now children with developmental disabilities, such as those with cerebral palsy and autism, are just starting to receive proper medical care and education thanks to the cooperation between DPRK’s Ministry of Public Health and international humanitarian organizations like ours. Unfortunately, though, surgical units in Pyongyang are currently forced to reuse syringes, scalpels, and even gauze due to a lack of medical supplies from global sanctions against the DPRK. And according to a recent report on the human costs of global sanctions on North Korea, humanitarian aid is critical for more than 10 million people, or 40 percent of the population, in the DPRK. 

Reporting on the Human Costs of Global Sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations, New York

Unfortunately, humanitarian work in the DPRK is currently facing unprecedented obstacles and delays. To continue our life-saving work for children with disabilities, our organization was required to obtain various licenses and permits from both the United States and the United Nations. A license from the US Treasury Department, a license from the Department of Commerce, an exemption from the UN Sanctions Committee, and Special Validation Passports from the US State Department are all required to continue our humanitarian work in North Korea. Our US Treasury License alone took us 11 months to obtain, and each time we enter the DPRK we have to apply again for Special Validation Passports, which can take anywhere from one to four months to obtain. Even American humanitarian workers, themselves, have been at times denied Special Validation Passports from the US State Department to enter the DPRK.

All of this red tape significantly delays and hinders much-needed humanitarian assistance in the country. Ignis Community’s progress in providing medical care for children with developmental disabilities was only possible because our family was living day in and day out in North Korea, daily developing trust with our North Korean counterparts. Now we are lucky if we are able to visit the country three or four times a year. Our family was forced to leave North Korea on September 1, 2017 when the Geographic Travel Restriction was enforced, and since then only qualified professional are allowed limited access to the DPRK for humanitarian purposes. This has significantly impacted the humanitarian progress we have made over the past thirteen years!

Then when the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2397 in December 2017, imports of metal, and, as a result, restricted medical equipment such as needles, rehabilitation equipment, and lab diagnostics were banned from entering the country. Although it is possible to get an exemption for humanitarian-related items, the entire process can be subject to burdensome delays. In our particular case, it took Ignis Community over three years to obtain all necessary licenses. Providing humanitarian assistance to the DPRK was always a challenging task, but now it is nearly impossible with all the hurdles that humanitarian organizations like ours are required to overcome.

Humanitarian assistance is one proven avenue that breaks down barriers between the relationship of our two countries. From my time of building relationships inside, I have come to love the common people of North Korea. My fear and distrust of them have slowly faded away as I have come to know the faces of living, breathing people. Through my personal interaction with everyday people, North Korean attitudes have also changed. Their perceptions about Americans have transformed from fear and hatred to openness and warmth for their newfound friends. And to my surprise, we have both discovered joy in building relationships with each other. (Excerpt from Discovering Joy: Ten Years in North Korea.)

One person does make a difference. The way that each of us responds makes a difference. Bringing about transformation between the US and the DPRK’s relationship will take time. It will not be easy, and it will not happen overnight. But building bridges through humanitarian work is a significant step forward. That is why the “Saving Lives in North Korea Act” bill must be passed. This bill is not only a matter of human decency but also one of hope and peace. It calls for protection of humanitarian work in the DPRK, speedy approval of Special Validation Passports from the US State Department, and quick review of US Treasury Licenses. We must work together to ensure that humanitarian work can continue to save lives, make an impact on the US/DPRK relationship, and pave the way for peace on the Korean Peninsula.