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Prominent North Korean Defector: Don't Ignore Human Rights

William Gallo

   SEOUL - Prominent North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho, who is running
   for a seat in South Korea's legislature, says human rights should
   remain at the forefront of any effort to improve relations with
   Pyongyang.

   Speaking to a group of foreign journalists Wednesday in Seoul, Thae
   criticized those in South Korea whom he accused of "trying to appease"
   the North by not bringing up its human rights abuses.
   "They are going back to the approach of economy first and human rights
   later... I believe that is very unjust," said Thae, a former North
   Korean diplomat who defected to the South in 2016.

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