Dialogue with North Korea?: Preconditions for Talking Human Rights with the Hermit Kingdom

There is hardly another country as isolated and with such a bleak image as North Korea. It is portrayed in the Western media as a Hermit Kingdom ruled by an outdated, communist dictatorship whose clandestine nuclear programs alarm its neighbors and which uses dreadful labor camps to control a population wracked by famine. The regime’s poor track record on human rights is stressed time and again by both Western governments and international organizations. Prospects look bleak for any improvement in relations let alone the start of a dialogue on human rights. Offering a rare, nuanced analysis of the North Korean situation, this short study argues that not only is a constructive and fruitful dialogue on human rights possible but also it is desirable for both parties.

• Geir Helgesen, Author

  Until recently director of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen, Geir Helgesen has long been engaged in the politics and culture of both Koreas, North and South. In his several publications on the subject, he has endeavored to reach beyond academia and engage with foreign-affairs practitioners directly.

• Thelle Hatla, Author