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Horowitz: “North Korea Will Explode Within One Year”

Posted December. 24, 2004 22:29,   

한국어

Senior fellow Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute, who assisted in the birth of the North Korea Human Rights Act behind the scenes, stated on December 23, “(I) believe that North Korea will internally explode within one year.”

At a lecture titled, “It Ain’t Christmas in Pyongyang: Will the Kim Jong Il Regime Last?” held at the Hudson Institute in Washington on that day, senior fellow Horowitz said, “North Korea will internally explode before next Christmas, and Defense Committee Chairman Kim Jong Il won’t be able to enjoy the next Christmas.”

Subsequently, he mentioned the possibility of a coup within the North, saying, “We can close down concentration camps and find several generals (within North Korea) who are willing to renounce (nuclear) weapon programs, and send them the message that they ‘can receive the U.S. support if (they) perform certain actions.’”

“With China’s political cost of maintaining the Kim Jong Il regime increasing, (I) am confident that China selected a general (of the North Korean military) as the successor to Kim,” stated senior fellow Horowitz.

In addition, he said, “A Japanese TV station is trying to procure a videotape containing brutal human rights abuses in North Korea’s prison for political criminals. Once this videotape gets out in the open, it will be difficult for Korea to turn a blind eye to the agonies of its own race.”

Concerning the unanimous enactment of the North Korea Human Rights Act in the Senate and the Congress by both the Democrats and the Republicans in October, he said, “The enactment of the act is a strong signal for the end of the North Korean regime.”

In addition, he said, “President Roh’s North Korea policy is far from the majority of Koreans’ thoughts. President Roh should be able to say that North Korean citizens are also entitled to the same democracy and human rights that South Koreans enjoy.”



Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com