The U.S. congressional commission has raised concerns about alleged forced labor involving North Korean workers in China’s fishing industry, warning that seafood sales to U.S. consumers could be funding North Korea’s weapons programs. The commission, led by Republican Representative Chris Smith and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, called on the Biden administration to take action against this practice.
North Korea is already under U.S.-led international sanctions, with China being a party to these sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. The use of North Korean labor in third countries is prohibited under these sanctions, and U.S. law also bans imports of goods made with North Korean labor.
Recent reports by the Outlaw Ocean Project have shed light on the harsh conditions faced by North Korean workers in Chinese seafood processing plants, with the end products making their way to American plates. The commission’s letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security head Alejandro Mayorkas urged immediate action to address this issue.
The commission recommended measures such as halting imports from Chinese companies employing North Korean labor, calling for a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss China’s alleged violations of sanctions, and ensuring access for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to North Korean workers in China. They also suggested requiring full supply chain disclosures and forced labor prevention plans for U.S. seafood procurements.
The letter emphasized the inadvertent complicity of American consumers and the U.S. government in supporting forced labor and funding North Korea’s regime through seafood purchases. While China’s embassy in Washington declined to comment on the issue, Costco, a major retailer implicated in the seafood supply chain, did not respond to requests for comment.
The commission’s call to action highlights the importance of addressing human rights abuses in supply chains and the potential impact on global security. As the Biden administration considers its response, the issue of forced labor in China’s fishing industry remains a pressing concern with far-reaching implications.
