Mick Hartley

Last week we noted South Korean President Moon and his extraordinary Time interview. Human Rights Watch were not impressed:

Human Rights Watch has slammed President Moon Jae-in for describing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as "honest" and "enthusiastic" in a recent interview with TIME magazine.

In a statement sent to Voice of America last Friday, the international watchdog said Kim "should be facing trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity."

"The UN Commission of Inquiry set out in comprehensive detail what those crimes against humanity are, and demanded [North Korea's] leaders be referred to the ICC, yet somehow the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, thinks that Kim Jong-un is some sort of worthy leader."

The magazine reported that Moon found Kim "very honest… very enthusiastic [and] one with strong determination who has 'a good idea of what is going on around the world.'"

But HRW said "Fortunately, the South Korean people have seen through Moon's delusions about the North Korean regime. [Kim] leads a government that… systematically abuses human rights on a parallel seldom seen anywhere else in the world."

Moon has been on an increasingly Quixotic quest to engage the North Korean regime with offers of economic cooperation.

But Kim "is ruthless and prepared to commit any sort of human rights atrocity if he thinks it will help him maintain power," HRW said. It added, "The fear of the North Korean people is the only thing that enables [Kim] to continue to rule the country after such economic mismanagement and misery."