US envoy post for N. Korea human rights left vacant
The State Department's special envoy post for North Korean human rights has been left vacant since January, its website showed Tuesday, as the department pushes for a reorganization plan that includes a reduction of human rights-related offices.
Former Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner left the post in January, and currently serves as the acting deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, according to the department.
Turner took the special envoy post in October 2023, filling a vacancy that had lasted more than six years.
It remains uncertain whether President Donald Trump will appoint a new special envoy in charge of North Korean human rights.
During her stint, Turner played an active role to highlight the "inextricable" connection between the North's rights abuses and its security threats on the grounds that the "repressive political climate" in the North allows its regime to divert a large share of public resources to weapons development programs.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled the department's reorganization plan that will remove the under secretary post for civilian security, democracy and human rights and create a new post -- the coordinator for foreign assistance and humanitarian affairs. (Yonhap)
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