Lee lecture focuses on human rights, nuclear possessions

Fletcher Professor Sung-Yoon Lee called North Korea the "last major hermit society," in a speech sponsored by the Korean Student Association (KSA) Wednesday.

A highly regarded expert on North Korea, Lee began his lecture with history, beginning with the peninsula's division in 1948. While South Korea opened to the West and became one of the world's largest economies, the North's isolation has resulted in extreme poverty.

Lee blamed the nation's lack of natural resources for its poverty. "North Korea relies on the outside world, including China, which alone provides nearly one-third of North Korea's food and electricity. It still does not have enough food, fuel, or electricity. Its principle revenue is $500 million, raised through drugs and counterfeit money."

The North Korean government has turned to a nuclear weapons program to try and compensate for the numerous disadvantages the country faces, Lee said. North Korea has declared itself a nuclear power, and withdrew from a 1994 agreement to stop development of nuclear weaponry. The Bush administration has been in negotiation with the regime to halt the country's weapons program.

Lee said these efforts were not likely to succeed. "There is no way that we can stop North Korea from going nuclear," he said. "But the US can't acknowledge that publicly."

Once they acquire weapons, Lee said the nation could endanger international stability. "There is a very high likelihood that North Korea would sell nuclear weapons and technology to anyone willing to buy," he said.

Poverty has led to "gross violations of human rights," Lee said. He cited statistics claiming between two and three million citizens have died from starvation over the last seven years. He also said North Korea has over 200,000 political prisoners held captive in concentration camps, and has abducted Japanese nationalists to act on their behalf.

Despite flagrant violations of human rights and the imminent nuclear threat, Lee said self-interest prevents other nations from intervening.

"The collapse of North Korea would mean the migration of millions of Koreans into China, which is not in its interest. South Korea has been neglecting the gross human rights violations for fear of upsetting its neighbor," Lee said.

For the United States, "war is not a viable option. It would mean the loss of thousands of servicemen," Lee said. "[North Korean leader] Kim Jong-Il has stable control. It is unparalleled, and is the most successful dictatorship. He has no intention of giving up power."

Some academics have voiced concerns over Bush's combative foreign policy toward the nation, including naming as member of the "axis of evil." Lee rejected these arguments. "North Korea is the problem -- not Bush, and not the US."

Lee advised "continue[ing] to try to engage North Korea in diplomacy. If we could buy North Korea and its weapons, we would. But they won't play brinksmanship. North Korea has repeatedly agreed to international agreements, and they have repeatedly cheated."

A citizen of South Korea, Lee received his masters and doctorate from the Fletcher School in 1998. He is currently a professor of International Politics at Fletcher and a professor of History in the College of Liberal Arts.

"We learned about Professor Lee from word of mouth. We jumped on the opportunity to have him speak, and we are lucky to have such a qualified professor in our facilities. For me this was so important because North Korea is such a current threat. It is important to raise more awareness. I hope it will make people less ignorant," said senior and KSA vice-president Catherine Lee.

Freshman David Huh echoed her sentiment. "[Lee] was chosen because he is both Korean and an expert on North Korea. Professor Lee gave a good foundation on the history of North Korea, and his lecture gave incredible insight on why this situation exists and why some previous foreign policies have failed."

Huh expressed a desire that the lecture might help others understand for Korean students, North Korea "is an issue that strikes very deeply."

KSA President Kelly Condit said, "I thought that Professor Lee's lecture was very honest and candid; he offered amazing insights into the various international and geopolitical issues surrounding North Korea."

Condit said the current climate surrounding North Korea makes her uneasy. "Whenever an Asian country is politically attacked, I can't help to fear the types of repercussions that the Asian American community will have to endure at home."