The United States will intensify its campaign to draw international attention to North Korean human rights abuse, despite concerns it could hurt prospects for resuming dialogue on the communist state’s nuclear weapons programs, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday.

Presenting testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee, Rice signaled that Jay Lefkowitz, the administration’s special envoy on North Korean human rights, will take a more active role in the coming weeks.

``We are going to get him out more,’’ she said. ``We need the rest of the international community to also pay attention to this issue.’’

Lefkowitz, a former advisor to President George W. Bush on domestic affairs, was appointed to the human rights post in August last year.

However, amid efforts to convince North Korea to return to six-party negotiations over its nuclear programs, Washington has limited his activities.

Lefkowitz visited Seoul late last year to speak at the second of a series of North Korean human rights conferences organized by U.S. group Freedom House and funded by Washington. The third and final conference will be held in Brussels this spring.

North Korea has reacted angrily to U.S. attempts to draw attention to its poor human rights conditions.

In another move to advance the human rights issue, Rice said the U.S. is considering granting asylum to North Korean defectors.

The State Department is reviewing its refugee policy together with other government agencies to ``see if we can find a way to participate in the refugee activities as well,’’ she said.

Activists estimate more than 100,000 North Koreans are hiding out in China after fleeing across the border from their homeland.

Under the North Korean Human Rights of Act of 2004, those seeking to escape the North Korean regime are eligible for asylum-seeker status in the U.S. However, Washington has so far rejected applications by North Korean defectors on the basis that they would find resettlement easier in South Korea.

Rice also reiterated that the U.S. will continue its probe into alleged counterfeiting of U.S. dollars by North Korea.

``The U.S. has been pursuing defensive measures to deal with illicit North Korean activities,’’ she said.

The state secretary, however, stressed that the counterfeiting issue is unrelated to the nuclear talks and that Washington is ready to resume the six-nation negotiations ``at any time.’’

The U.S. has accused North Korea of making and distributing counterfeit U.S. currency, laundering money and trafficking in drugs and weapons. North Korea, which denies the allegations, responded by demanding the U.S. government lift financial sanctions imposed in October and boycotting the nuclear talks.

rjs@koreatimes.co.kr