Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the situation in North Korea.

Mr Hugo Swire

We remain extremely concerned by the ongoing situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) especially regarding the nuclear threat and human rights.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2013 annual human rights report listed the DPRK as a country of concern. Compelling reports of widespread and systematic human rights violations, including the curtailment of fundamental freedoms and the continued use of political prison camps, are especially worrying. I met the US Special Envoy for DPRK Human Rights, Robert King, on 6 May to discuss how we can maintain international pressure on this.

The security situation remains deeply troubling. Recent statements implying that the DPRK is considering a further nuclear test, coupled with the DPRK’s March decision to launch ballistic missiles in clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions and to conduct live-fire artillery exercises, have only served to heighten tensions in the region. The UK continues to closely monitor the situation with our allies.