The U.S. State Department has recommended halting all 391 grant programs under the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), except for projects related to China and Yemen. This decision is expected to financially impact North Korean human rights organizations based in South Korea that have been receiving DRL funding.
Various news sources on Thursday confirmed that the State Department advised that all grants administered through the DRL be cut, sparing only those involving China and Yemen. This could put approximately 1.3 billion USD in grant funding at risk.
North Korean human rights organizations in South Korea, many of which depend on DRL funding, will be directly affected. The DRL has previously funded initiatives such as information dissemination and human rights monitoring in North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Song Han Na, director of the North Korean Human Rights Database (NKDB), said the Trump administration’s first executive order to cut overseas aid left the organization in a very uncertain situation for six months, adding that in May they were forced to downsize and relocate their office.
She further explained that when the executive order was first issued in January, they were instructed to halt operations, but the decision was reversed in March, allowing them to resume. While they have managed to keep the center running so far, she anticipates ongoing challenges ahead.
Lee Young Hwan, Executive Director of the Transitional Justice Working Group—another North Korean human rights organization—also voiced concern over the funding shortage and stressed the need for greater government involvement.
Lee said they have enough funds to last one more quarter and warned that if grant support is completely suspended, the organization will have to shut down within three months.
He pointed out that their core funding has largely relied on the U.S. and questioned why the South Korean government is not taking responsibility for the critical issue of North Korean human rights instead of relying on the U.S.
Experts warn that ending funding for North Korean human rights organizations not only undermines human rights efforts but also eliminates a crucial window into the country.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global human rights organization, noted that the funding supports cross-border radio channels, South Korean media, satellite imagery analysis, and archives documenting information on human rights violations, providing insight into the isolated country. HRW warned that if the funding stops, the world will be left in the dark, forced to rely solely on official statements from the North Korean government.