U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Visits Tokyo and Seoul

The U.S. State Department announced that its special envoy for human rights in North Korea, Julie Turner, will travel to Tokyo and Seoul starting Monday. The department stated in a press release on its website last Friday that the visit will last until February 22, during which Turner will meet with government officials, activists, and North Korean defectors. The statement noted, "The special envoy's trip will reaffirm the United States' commitment to promoting human rights in North Korea, increasing mechanisms for accessing uncensored information within the reclusive state, and amplifying the voices of survivors advocating for meaningful change." Turner is fluent in Korean and is the former director of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs office at the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Following her appointment, Pyongyang condemned her, describing her as a "wicked" figure resorting to "slander."