One of President Donald Trump’s top priorities as he entered office was to ensure that no further US foreign assistance “be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States”. As a result, more than 90 per cent of USAID’s contracts have been cancelled, and countless NGOs and other humanitarian organisations left in limbo.
One of the hardest-hit groups has been the organisations advocating for the improvement of North Korean human rights. As part of the Trump administration’s bid to drastically cut foreign aid, the US Treasury Department froze all funds of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which serves as a critical source of funding for many NGOs working on North Korean issues and human rights, including Daily NK, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, and Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights.
According to a statement published by NED on 25 February, the organisation “has been unable to meet its obligations and has been forced to suspend support for nearly 2,000 partners worldwide”. The sudden cut in already limited budgets has North Korean human rights organisations sounding the alarm, with some saying they may have to close their doors within months if no alternative source of funding is secured.
Last week, UN special envoy for North Korean human rights Elizabeth Salmon echoed those worries, stating the situation “will have long-term consequences on efforts to improve human rights of people in the DPRK and on ensuring accountability for human rights violations and crimes against humanity”. She urged both the private and public sectors to support North Korea human rights NGOs, emphasising that these groups play a “crucial role in promoting and protecting the human rights of people in the DPRK in the complete absence of civil society” in the country.
It remains unclear amid court challenges and policy switches whether Trump will reverse his decision to drastically cut back American aid or if a revised, limited budget will be passed for organisations such as NED to keep them operational. A return to pre-Trump levels of international aid, however, seems highly unlikely.
A July 2024 report by the United Nations also pointed to the continuation of forced labour, stating that “victims are systematically compelled to work under the threat of physical violence and in inhumane conditions”.
While the obvious alternative to US funding is South Korea, the aid from Seoul to such organisations has been highly limited due to politics. Despite the current conservative administration’s vocal support for improving human rights in North Korea, NGOs have found it difficult to receive adequate funding to carry out their work. In contrast, progressive governments in South Korea have historically tended to favour engagement and diplomacy with Pyongyang over addressing human rights issues.
This trend continues, with South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party attempting to cut funding for North Korean human rights programs last month. With South Korean politics still in turmoil in the wake of the president’s martial law declaration in December, the chances are increasingly high that the opposition party could come to power if elections are held. In this case, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is poised to become the country’s next leader. If elected, Lee is unlikely to press hard on human rights issues, let alone provide substantial funding for NGOs. Instead, he will likely seek to repair severely strained inter-Korean ties, saying earlier this month that Seoul “must keep communication channels open and pursue dialogue efforts”.
The current funding crisis comes at a time when North Korean human rights continue to be violated on a mass scale. All of this while North Korean borders remain closed to foreign humanitarian actors, making it even more difficult to gauge the scale of the problem. According to the 2024 Human Rights Watch report on North Korea, the government continues to restrict people’s freedom of movement while also violently cracking down on the consumption and distribution of foreign materials. A July 2024 report by the United Nations also pointed to the continuation of forced labour, stating that “victims are systematically compelled to work under the threat of physical violence and in inhumane conditions”.
Human rights experts have also called attention to the forced deployment of North Korean troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine, stating that most soldiers are not there of their own free will and that they face torture and even execution for disobeying orders or attempting desertion. North Korea human rights groups also have serious concerns about Trump’s interest in resuming diplomacy with Kim Jong Un. If talks do materialise, Trump will be careful not to bring human rights issues to the forefront lest this sabotage negotiations.
To Trump, the priority will be getting a deal. Human rights – as he’s shown through his disdain for aid programs and his remarks on the crisis in Gaza – will likely remain on the back burner.
