On January 2021, PSCORE founded the Corean Reunification Academy (CRA), an online lecture platform created for students and young professionals to discuss and learn about the most important inter-Korean issues facing the Korean peninsula and its path toward reunification.
The following lecture videos were made as preparatory materials for participants of PSCORE’s Model United Nations for Successful Corean Reunification conference. Please check out our latest CRA lecture series!
Professor Chang-Rok Soh, member of the UN Human Rights Committee, explains in depth the need for global governance, the importance of human rights, and United Nations mechanisms in addressing human rights issues. Using different theoretical approaches, Professor Soh analyzes the ineffectiveness of current human rights policies towards North Korea. He urges youth participation and human rights education to foster global citizenship.
The Honorable Michael Kirby, former Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), shares his insights on the human rights situation in North Korea and the significance of the COI. He provides detailed information on the DPRK’s wide-ranging human rights abuses, including the ubiquity of detention camps, discrimination against women and political prisoners, the lack of digital rights, and more.
Mr. Imesh Pokharel, representative ad interim of the Office for the High Commission of Human Rights in Seoul, presents the perspective of the United Nations regarding the human rights situation in North Korea. He sheds light on the progress and challenges of keeping the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) accountable to its human rights commitments.
Mr. Tae Yongho, a North Korean defector and current member of the National Assembly in South Korea lectures about the role of the international community and Korean reunification, focusing on the lack of freedom of religion in North Korea. Through the lens of religion and Christianity, he provides insight into the infringement of human rights and free will that the government inflicts on the people of North Korea.
Professor Oh Joon, former South Korean ambassador to the UN, lectures about the history of sustainable development, including the process of globalization and transition from MDGs to SDGs. He explains the unprecedented challenge that COVID-19 poses to the realization of the SDGs through five key concepts: global public health crisis, global economic depression, US-China rivalry, globalism vs. nationalism, and state-centered vs. people-centered approach.
Dr. Arnold Fang, a researcher for the East Asian division at Amnesty International, delves into international NGOs’ role in addressing human rights issues, focusing on North Korea. He explains the different mechanisms by which NGOs advocate for human rights, how Amnesty International runs its campaigning program, and what difficulties it has come across most recently.
