Leader’s writing: An image taken by North Korea’s official Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station on June 1 shows a rock engraved with Kim Jong-un’s hand writing. / Yonhap

By Kim Young-jin

The United States envoy on North Korean human rights will visit Seoul later this week for talks with South Korean officials amid ongoing humanitarian concerns about the Stalinist state.

The trip by Robert King comes amid reports that the human rights situation has deteriorated in recent months and concern from aid groups over reported drought conditions that could hurt crops.

In addition to talks with top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam and deputy national security advisor Kim Tae-hyo, the envoy will also meet with local rights organizations.

One group protesting China’s detention of South Korean rights activist Kim Young-hwan _ a harsh critic of Pyongyang _ said it had submitted an application to meet with King.

Activists suspect Kim was involved in North Korean human rights activities along the Chinese border and that Pyongyang may have been involved in the detention. Beijing only says he posed a threat to national security.

A spokesperson for The Committee for the Release of Kim Young-hwan expressed hope that though it was bilateral issue that Washington might apply pressure on Beijing from a humanitarian perspective.

Meanwhile, Washington says it remains concerned about the plight of North Koreans amid reports of a severe drought in the North.
But officials have said food aid, however, is out of the question until Pyongyang demonstrates it is serious about transparent distribution of aid.

The North broke an aid deal with the U.S. by firing a long-range rocket in defiance of the international community in April. Washington saw the deal as a test of the regime’s will to follow through on commitments.

Rights groups say the situation in the North remains deplorable under new leader Kim Jong-un.

Amnesty International said last month that Pyongyang apparently detained some two hundred former officials last year in a bid to secure power for Kim, and some were executed, it added, citing unconfirmed reports.

Kim was handed power in December after the death of his father Kim Jong-il. The death of the longtime despot raised cautious hope for improved conditions for the North Korean people. However, a prompt lockdown of its northern border to prevent defections suggested that any such development would take time under the twenty-something Kim Jong-un, who needs to consolidate power.

In Tokyo, King will discuss the matter of Japanese nationals detained by Pyongyang.