A/HRC/25/CRP.1 Union and its allies. The Cold War has played an important role in the international relations that have impacted the DPRK. Equally important have been regional dynamics. 159. China has repeatedly expressed the desire for denuclearization of the peninsula,113 and stability in the DPRK appears to be the main priority for China. Nevertheless, the majority of North Koreans who have sought to flee the DPRK have done so by crossing the border into China and transiting overland to reach South East Asia.114 This has raised questions regarding China’s treatment of these North Koreans and its adherence to international human rights law,115 while human rights violations in the DPRK have directly impacted China. 160. The Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration following the 2002 summit noted that “establishing a fruitful political, economic and cultural relationship between Japan and the DPRK through the settlement of unfortunate past between them and the outstanding issues of concern would be consistent with the fundamental interests of both sides, and would greatly contribute to the peace and stability of the region.”116 The process was derailed by the failure of the DPRK to follow up on its admission of the abduction of Japanese nationals.117 The abductions issue continues to resound forcefully with the Japanese public, as do the security threats from nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that the DPRK has tested and continues to develop. 161. Both the ROK and the DPRK have stated that unification of the peninsula is a goal. Under the ROK’s National Security Law, anyone who knowingly supports or encourages “anti-state” entities faces up to seven years’ imprisonment. Unauthorized trips to the DPRK also remain forbidden. In recent years, the ROK has increased efforts to assist DPRK citizens who have fled the DPRK. The DPRK has countered that citizens of the DPRK who have escaped or are attempting to flee have been trafficked. Since 2007, there have not been any ministerial level talks between the ROK and the DPRK. President Park Geun-hye announced a new framework in the ROK’s approach to relations with the DPRK, using the term “Trustpolitik” to refer to an incremental trust-building process that would both provide a tough position as well as flexibility for negotiating when there are openings.118 Cabinetlevel talks that were scheduled for 12 June 2013 in Seoul were aborted after the two sides failed to agree on the composition of the delegations. Beyond the aborted ministerial level 113 114 115 116 117 44 On 24 May 2013, President Xi Jinping in his meeting with Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army and a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee who was the special envoy of Kim Jongun, said, “China has a very clear position concerning the issue that all the parties involved should stick to the objective of denuclearization, safeguard the peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation.”, Xinhua News Agency. On 27 June 2013, President Xi Jinping re-affirmed this position during the summit with ROK President Park Geun-hye in Beijing in a joint statement issued at the end of their meeting. Many of the witnesses who testified at the Commission’s public hearings as well as confidential interviews confirmed this route. The Korean Bar Association’s 2012 White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea noted that the usual escape route is via China and Thailand, p. 533. See section IV.C. See Pyongyang Declaration at http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asiapaci/n_korea/pmv0209/pyongyang.html. The DPRK repeatedly raises historical grievances such as the issues of conscription into the Japanese military operations and the existence of “comfort stations” during World War II. Japan maintains that it is necessary to comprehensively resolve outstanding issues of concern, such as the abduction issue and other security matters, in order to normalise the Japan-DPRK relationship.