Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will convene a hearing entitled, “North Korea’s Criminal Activities:  Financing the Regime,” TOMORROW at 10 a.m.

On February 12, North Korea detonated its third nuclear device, in defiance of United Nations sanction resolutions and calls from the international community.  The test came on the heels of North Korea’s December 2012 launch of a multistage rocket that appeared to be the most successful of the country’s five attempts at testing long-range missile technology.

On February 15, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution condemning North Korea (H. Res. 65) for the test, for flagrant and repeated violations of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and for its repeated provocations that threaten international peace and stability.

Chairman Royce on tomorrow’s hearing:  “America’s North Korea policy has been nothing but a bipartisan failure.  From the Clinton Administration to the Bush Administration, to now, our government has taken the path of least resistance, hoping North Korea will do the right thing.  The Obama Administration has followed in the same footsteps.  We know that North Korea continues to engage in all types of illicit activities, from proliferation of weapons to counterfeiting U.S. currency, to finance their brutal regime. 

“This hearing will identify the best strategy for cutting off North Korea’s access to hard currency in order to see real change.”

Tuesday, March 5

Hearing:  North Korea’s Criminal Activities:  Financing the Regime

10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Ed Royce, Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

David Asher, Ph.D.
Non-Resident Senior Fellow
Center for a New American Security
(Former Senior Adviser, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Coordinator, North Korea Working Group, U.S. Department of State)

Sung-Yoon Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Korean Studies
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Tufts University

The Honorable Joseph R. DeTrani
President
Intelligence and National Security Alliance
(Former Director, National Counter Proliferation Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence)

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates. 

***Coverage note:  All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

Note:

Chairman Royce has long been a leader in Congress on issues relating to North Korea.  In 2007, Royce issued an investigative report, “Gangster Regime,” on North Korean counterfeiting, which was featured in the Wall Street Journal. 

Royce is a former co-chair of the Congressional Korea Caucus, current co-chairman of the International Parliamentarians Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights, and former chairman of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange.  Royce authored legislation to increase radio broadcasting into North Korea, and in 2007, travelled to North Korea’s Mt. Kumgang development.

Royce let the effort to incorporate human rights into the U.S. approach to counter North Korea and was an original cosponsor of the North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012. He was House author of successful legislation that added North Korea to the Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act.  Chairman Royce introduced a House resolution (H.Res. 65) condemning North Korea’s recent nuclear test; the resolution was passed overwhelmingly by the House.

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