Cause for Christmas cheer

By John Burton

Is the spirit of Christmas, which is supposed to be a time of "goodwill to all men," influencing U.S.-North Korea negotiations?

Stephen Biegun, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, last week appeared to offer a holiday gift to Pyongyang when he promised the U.S. will try to expedite humanitarian aid to North Korea.

This came after recent reports that the Trump administration has been restricting some international relief agencies from delivering vital humanitarian aid to North Koreans as part of the broader international sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

Although humanitarian aid was supported to be exempt from the U.N. sanctions regime, strict interpretations of curbs on banking and shipping transactions with Pyongyang and a U.S. travel ban on Americans visiting North Korea have severely impacted the operations of most relief groups in the country.

This has undermined Pyongyang's confidence about the sincerity of promises by U.S. President Donald Trump to improve relations with North Korea in return for the dismantlement of its nuclear program.

During a trip to Seoul, Biegun said he would talk with U.S. aid groups early next year "to discuss how we can better ensure the delivery of appropriate assistance." Charities have been lobbying the U.S. State Department for months to take a more flexible attitude.

International aid organizers have complained that the U.S. rules have undermined recent moves by the U.N. to streamline approval for aid shipments.

The travel ban, which requires American aid workers to obtain special permission from the U.S. State Department to visit North Korea, has proved to be cumbersome in practice for those seeking exemptions. U.S. licensing requirements for private charities operating in North Korea are also complex.

International aid groups' fear of inadvertently violating restrictions on banking and transport transactions with North Korea has slowed the supply of aid.

Biegun's goodwill gesture on humanitarian aid also appeared aimed at placating Seoul. Inter-Korean cooperation has largely stalled due to the current stalemate in U.S.-North Korea negotiations. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has postponed a promised visit to Seoul until South Korea relaxes restrictions on aid, which the sanctions prevent.

Pyongyang views the resumption of humanitarian aid as an indicator of whether the U.S. is prepared to ease broader sanctions, which North Korea has been demanding before it begins its denuclearization process. The U.S. has said it would not lift sanctions until there is a "final, fully verified denuclearization" by North Korea.

The restrictions on humanitarian aid are likely seen by North Korea as proof that the U.S. is unwilling to abandon its "maximum pressure" policy.

Allowing increased supplies of humanitarian aid to North Korea would appear to be a "no-brainer" if the U.S. wants to begin building trust with North Korea, which is a vital element if any future deals are to be achieved.

The slowdown in aid is affecting the most vulnerable parts of North Korea's population ― those who live in remote rural areas and are suffering either from malnutrition or infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Most of the aid provided to North Korea consists of food, medical supplies, water sanitation machinery, ambulances, tractors and other agricultural equipment.

"The humanitarian situation in North Korea is far too dire for these draconian policies. The United Nations estimates that 60,000 children are at risk of starvation, and cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis ― if left untreated ― threaten to spread with devastating effect throughout the country and potentially into neighboring states," U.S. Senator Edward Markey said.

The U.S. has said it favors stringent monitoring measures on humanitarian aid to ensure that none of it is diverted for other purposes. Some U.S. officials are also blaming North Korea for the humanitarian crisis, claiming it could be easily solved if Pyongyang spent more on basic welfare services rather than its nuclear program.

Nonetheless, the Scrooge-like role that the U.S. is assuming on the humanitarian aid issue could undermine its own criticism about human rights violations in North Korea.

The appearance of a callous U.S. policy also gives ammunition to China and Russia in their push for an easing of sanctions against North Korea.

But in the meantime, China is vigorously enforcing the sanctions, preventing international aid groups from buying supplies there or preventing their transport through the country if they appear in any way to violate sanction rules.

It remains to be seen whether Biegun's comments will have any effect on what the North Korean leader will say in his highly anticipated New Year's Day speech, which will indicate whether he wants to continue pursuing diplomacy.

John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.