WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The United States and North Korea last week opened direct discussions on the reclusive communist nation's human rights record, a U.S. envoy said Thursday, briefing Congress on the results of his trip to Pyongyang intended to assess the food situation there.
Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, said his government has not yet decided to resume food aid to the nation, but that rice would be ruled out because it can be stored for a relatively long period and so could easily be diverted to the military.
"In my recent trip to Pyongyang, I engaged directly on human rights issues with Kim Kye-gwan, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other high-level officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said in a statement released shortly before a congressional hearing.
King stressed that it was the first time that the two sides, locked in a longstanding nuclear stand-off, have engaged in direct dialogue about how North Korea can improve its human rights situation -- a taboo subject in the tightly controlled nation.
"This is a significant first step and I believe we can build up on this foundation with our partners who share our deep concerns about the North Korean people," he said.
During the hearing, King gave details of his 20-minute conversation with North Korea's vice foreign minister.
"The conclusion of that was they were willing to talk about human rights, they were willing to look into some of the issues that we are interested in raising with them," he said, adding that Kim invited him back to Pyongyang to have further discussions on human rights.
King visited Pyongyang May 24-28, leading a team of U.S. officials and experts to check reports that most of the North's 24 million people are in urgent need of food aid.
Many view the Obama administration's dispatch of the team as merely a formality.
King, however, said his government has not made a decision yet on providing food, as an on-site evaluation team remains in North Korea.
He said, "The kinds of food we provide would be the kinds of food that are less desirable for the elite, for the military," he said. "For example, we would not provide rice. We would focus on some kind of a nutrition program that would provide other kinds of food but would be harder to divert."
He emphasized that the U.S. has various ideas to ensure food reaches ordinary North Koreans in need, including sending in Korean language speakers as monitors.
King indicated that South Korea's reluctance is a factor that could delay the U.S. decision on food aid.
"We've had lengthy discussions with South Korea about providing food assistance. They would prefer that we not provide food assistance. On the other hand, they have allowed NGOs in South Korea to provide food on their own," he said, when asked about Seoul's reaction.