Human rights and North Korean defector groups in South Korea say they are struggling to raise money, cutting jobs and programs, and facing pressure to avoid criticism of Pyongyang as Seoul and Washington focus on diplomatic outreach to the isolated country.
Activists say they were disappointed but unsurprised human rights has seemingly disappeared from the agenda as South Korean and American leaders met with Kim Jong Un in recent months.
"As South and North Korea have promoted this 'mood for peace,' the defectors and North Korean human rights activist groups feel excluded," said Kim Tae-hee, a defector who heads the Coalition for North Korean Refugees.