Ban Ki-moon's DPRK Dance Continued at S Korea Mission, UN Says Did Not Inform Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 25 -- When Ri Hung Sik, Ambassador at-large of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on November 17 held a press conference at the North Korean mission, he said that he'd heard nothing, nothing at all, about UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visiting North Korea, which Yonhap ascribed to a senior UN source.

  Ban has been coy about the trip, denying specific times but saying though his spokesman that talks were ongoing. He issued a statement on the death of former South Korea president Kim Young-sam - while not having issued such a statement on the recent death of Helmut Schmidt.

Then Ban went to sign the condolence book for Kim Young-sam at the South Korea mission on November 23 -- unlike his visit to the French mission to sign the condolence book there, NOT in his public schedule - and had an interchange described as with South Korean reporters. Who invited them there? Who informed them? Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked, video here, transcript here:

Inner City Press: I noticed the readout you put out, belated, I guess, partial transcript of the Secretary-General’s comments at the South Korean mission, if I’m correct.  I wanted to ask, I guess it’s kind of a procedural question.  It seems like recently he went to sign the condolence book at the French Mission.  It was put in his schedule, trying to cover this.  Like, why wasn’t this in his public schedule, and how did the journalists who were there know to be there?

Spokesman:  This was… the Secretary-General was… added this at the last minute.  We did not invite other journalists to attend.  I think you would have to ask the Mission of the Republic of Korea.

Inner City Press / FUNCA:  Just to know going forward, generally, if you know about such a visit, you put it in the public schedule or try to inform journalists?

Spokesman:  We try to do as much as we can ahead of time.  But obviously, the Secretary-General was traveling.  He basically landed, went home, changed, and went to the mission.  So this was…

Inner City Press:   Does this mean a visit to DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is now closer?  What are the issues being negotiated or discussed?

Spokesman:  Well, I would… I think you have… I think the Secretary-General was very clear in what he said.  We translated the comments from Korean.  He’s obviously in discussions.  Details are still being worked out as to the trip, and when we’re ready to announce it, he will announce it or I will announce it.

On November 24, Ban's office issued this for wider consumption:

Partial transcript of remarks by the Secretary-General to press following his signing of a condolence book at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea

Q: [inaudible question on potential visit to the Korean peninsula]

SG: …As one national of the Republic of Korea, I have often stated, as you well know, my willingness to play any role if there was an opportunity, including through a visit to North Korea, to promote peace and reconciliation between the South and North Koreas, and reduce tensions. The relations and political situation between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had not been conducive, but recently DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong visited the UN Headquarters twice, providing opportunities for us to meet, and it is a fact that we discussed the role of the Secretary-General in this regard. Recently, on this, there has been a bit of a positive signal from the DPRK, and we are at the moment coordinating when would be the best time to visit the DPRK, but so far nothing has been decided. Once the decision is made, I will inform the reporters, and proceed with the visit to the DPRK. I am sure there are many things you are curious about the issue, but I must say that it takes time to advance work, and since there are many sensitive issues at play, so I request that you follow the situation with patience.

Q: The citizens of Korea are very interested, and they want to know when this visit would approximately take place.

SG: That is something I cannot respond at the moment, but I will say that we will make the effort to do so at the earliest possible date.

Back on November 17 when when asked a leading question about a hypothetical Ban trip, Ri Hung Sik said Ban's UN would have to improve its relations with DPRK. Inner City Press put the audio online here, and embedded below.

 Inner City Press ran back to the UN and asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, transcript here:

Inner City Press: here was just a press conference at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) mission, and there their minister, Ri Hung Sik, asked about the Secretary-General's possible reported trip, said he's heard nothing about it at all and that there are many rumors on the internet.  He also said that this South Korean national security law that makes it illegal for South Korean citizens to speak positively of the DPRK… that's how he described it… should be looked at by the UN.  So I wanted to know, what is the Secretary-General's view of that law?  And if that's an accurate description, is he bound by it?

Spokesman:  I'm not aware of the law.  As far as Ban Ki-moon, he is the Secretary-General of the United Nations and is doing his duty as such.

   But why did Team Ban play it so coy on Yonhap's report? Now late on November 17, the UN has issues this more specific denial:

"In response to questions asked about a report from Xinhua and the Korean Central News Agency stating that the Secretary-General would be travelling to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea next week, the Spokesman had the following to say: The Secretary-General will not be travelling to the DPRK next week. He will be in New York most of the week and then travel to Malta for the Commonwealth Summit. From there, he will go to directly to Paris to attend CoP21. The Secretary-General has repeatedly said that he is willing to play any constructive role, including traveling to the DPRK, in an effort to work for peace, stability and dialogue on the Korean Peninsula."

  Before Inner City Press left the DPRK mission on November 17, it asked Ri Hung Sik for his view of UN Special Rapporteur Marzuki Darusman and when or if UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid will visit North Korea.

  Of Darusman, Ri Hung Sik said he met him only once, and that it seems Darusman does not speak his own words, or think his own thoughts. Of Zeid, he said the discussion is of technical cooperation, but no date was given. Video here.

   During the press conference, Reuters asserted that they had been no vote on last year's DPRK human rights resolution. Ri Hung Sik said Reuters was wrong, and it was. Then even though it had earlier cut in with a follow-up questions, Reuters cut off another correspondent trying to ask a follow-up about Qatar, on which Ri Hung Sik cast some blame. There was no question, as at a prior DPRK press conference, about Donald Trump.

  Back on October 28 when Darusman held a press conference about the DPRK, Inner City Press asked him to comment on the recent Intercept report that the US Pentagon used an NGO to spy in North Korea. Would the UN Special Rapporteur advise member states, particularly those concerned about human rights in DPRK, not to use NGOs to spy? Video here.

  Well, no. In fact, Darusman said that such spying might be justified. Video here. Inner City Press asked him about DPRK's allegation that its sailors in the Mudubong ship detained in Mexico were suffering human rights violations. Darusman answered, but it was not clear.

 InnerCityPro.com has transcribed both answers:

Inner City Press: Do you have any recommendations to the international community in terms of whether it’s good practice to use NGOs to collect intelligence? And, the Mission here brought up the alleged detention of their sailors on the Mu Du Bong, have you looked into this?

Darusman: On the first part, I’ve seen the news report on that but I have not really looked into that at this point. The nature of the problem is very specific. It has to do with a case of what is being reported in the media. I hesitate to comment too far and I would perhaps seek further clarification on this issue by contacting parties that would be knowledgeable about this. I wouldn’t want to speculate on the truth of untruth. But this again brings up the whole dimension of the North Korea problematic, and this is that, it is such an isolated society, where information is at a high premium, and ways and means need to be sought to gather information to get a picture of what is happening there. I can understand that these things could happen. But to what extent the details are the way they are.

On the second issue, treatment, certainly this is part of the mandate of rapporteur, to look at the well being of the North Korean people either inside or outside the country. I will certainly be looking into this and planning out further what is the state of this matter, and this sort of merges into the bigger picture of mistreatment of NK workers in other regions of the world, including the Middle East and Russia.

We'll have more on this. Watch this site