How To Set Kenneth Bae Free

The United States is troubled over the issue of the release of a Korean-American missionary, Kenneth Bae. Glyn Davies, the Special Representative of the Secretary of State for North Korea Policy, visited Sweden on Feb. 26 after visiting Russia. Sweden speaks for the United States in North Korea, so it seems Davies went to Sweden to discuss releasing Bae from the prison.

Davies’ urgent reactions are understandable. Kenneth Bae is recorded as the longest-held American detainee in North Korea, imprisoned for 16 months. Also, the United States has to start from the ground up, since North Korea invited Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King, and canceled [meetings] twice. The release became a major issue between the United States and North Korea. Even President Barack Obama officially mentioned this and promised [his] best efforts toward releasing Bae.

Indeed, it does not look as though North Korea wants to detain Bae for 15 years. North Korea invited King twice, though it later canceled [the invitation]. North Korea said it tried humanitarian action, but the United States screwed everything up when the U.S. Air Force sent B-52 bombers to South Korea. This proves that the release would not be difficult if the United States compromises carefully. In fact, North Korea is uncomfortable imprisoning an American in its correctional center because North Korea could not help but reveal confidential parts [of its system].

Then what could be the solution? First of all, the only way to release Bae is through a pardon, as the North Korean court sentenced him to 15 years hard labor. Granting a prisoner a pardon is the official authority of the head of a nation. In order to do that, a representative of the United States government should ask for a pardon from the North Korean government. In history, former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton visited North Korea and asked that detainees come back to the U.S.

It is known that the United States asked North Korea to guarantee Bae’s release when they discussed King’s visit. In the past, former U.S. presidents could not get official answers from authorities in North Korea. Instead, former U.S. presidents used to have to secure such a pledge through unofficial channels. Once North Korea invites a specific person, the United States needs to trust North Korea and visit the country.

Another issue is the [choice of] person to visit North Korea. Some people maintained King was not appropriate anymore due to the recent U.N. Commission of Inquiry report on human rights issues in North Korea. The problem is that King is a high-ranking government official managing human rights within North Korea. Right now, Reverend Jesse Jackson proffered his services for Bae. Yet the problem is that the North Korean government may or may not consider Rev. Jackson as a representative of the United States government. Instead of Rev. Jackson, a former U.S. president, Davies or Deputy Secretary of State William Burns could be effective options. If the U.S. government sincerely wants to release Bae, it may not be easy, but it is possible.

North Korea also has to change its attitude. The problem is not limited to Bae’s individual detention. Authorities in the U.S. government are reluctant to talk with North Korea nowadays as long as Bae is imprisoned. They also said releasing Bae would bring positive effects on the relations between the U.S. and North Korea. Although the U.S. did not clarify what reward it can offer for releasing Bae, it is obvious that releasing Bae is the starting point of conversations between North Korea and the United States. I hope North Korea makes cooperative decisions on this, as much as it did at the recent meetings for inter-Korean reunions.