Kwon Young-se "Need to Hold North Korea Accountable for Human Rights Deterioration"… Salmon "North Korea Human Rights Agenda a Common Goal"

Salmon, UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights, Visits Minister Kwon Young-se of the Ministry of Unification
Ministry of Unification Conveys North Korean Human Rights Policy Including Release of North Korean Human Rights Status Report

[Asia Economy Reporter Inho Yoo] Elizabeth Salmon, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights, visited Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se on the 2nd and exchanged views on North Korean human rights issues, the Ministry of Unification announced.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the meeting held at the Minister's office in the Government Seoul Office Building that morning, Minister Kwon said, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula and the improvement of inter-Korean relations are necessary for a humane life for all residents living on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will strive to improve the human rights of North Korean residents as much as it does for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the improvement of inter-Korean relations."

He presented two approaches to addressing North Korean human rights issues. He said, "First, it is necessary to clearly hold accountable those who have worsened the human rights situation in North Korea," and "On the other hand, it is about practically improving the human rights of North Korean residents."

He added, "Holding those who violate human rights accountable can also be seen as necessary to improve the humanitarian situation of North Korean residents."

Minister Kwon criticized the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying, "I deeply regret that efforts related to North Korean human rights were neglected in the last government."

He said the Moon administration was "not at all proactive" in UN-level human rights discussions and promised to improve this going forward. This refers to South Korea's absence as a co-sponsor of the UN North Korean Human Rights Resolution for three consecutive years since 2019 during the previous administration.

Minister Kwon also pledged to accelerate the establishment of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation.

He said, "There were parts related to our (South Korea's) responsibilities concerning North Korean human rights that were neglected in the previous government. The first example is the establishment of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration intends to definitely improve that."

He added, "We should be ashamed that the North Korean Human Rights Act was only passed in 2016. Even six years after the law's passage, the North Korean Human Rights Foundation has not been established, but we will make every effort to have it set up as soon as possible."

Special Rapporteur Salmon also responded, saying, "Human rights are necessary for sustainable peace, and I believe we share a common goal to improve the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)."

The Ministry of Unification stated in a press release distributed after the meeting that the government conveyed to Special Rapporteur Salmon its intention to actively pursue North Korean human rights policies, including the publication of a 'Report on the Current Situation of North Korean Human Rights' (tentative title).

Special Rapporteur Salmon mentioned, "Previous Special Rapporteurs achieved results by informing the international community about the human rights situation in North Korea despite the lack of cooperation from North Korea and leading the activities of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Based on these efforts, it is important to include human rights agendas in all future dialogues with North Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.