North Korea: "Women in the South live in anxiety and fear... No right to talk about human rights"

South Korea's UN Human Rights Council Election Loss Mocked: "A Confrontational Diplomat... Unfit to Speak on Human Rights"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea mocked South Korea for losing the election for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying it has no right to talk about their human rights. In particular, it escalated its verbal attacks by calling Hwang Jun-guk, South Korea's ambassador to the UN who recently pointed out North Korea's human rights issues on the UN stage, a "mad dog."

On the 24th, North Korea's external propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri, in an article titled "A Confrontation Maniac Disguised as a Diplomat," reacted against Ambassador Hwang's criticism of North Korea's human rights and directly stated to the South, "They have neither the basic decency nor the qualification to talk about anyone's 'human rights.'"

The outlet claimed that South Korean women suffer from anxiety and oppression in a "human rights hell" marked by severe discrimination, and pointed out, "Shouldn't they at least understand that being driven out even from a seat on the UN Human Rights Council recently is due to their miserable human rights situation?"

This is interpreted as an attempt to use South Korea's recent failure in the election for the next UN Human Rights Council membership (2023?2025) as a pretext to block criticism of North Korea's human rights issues. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed this, saying that the loss in the Human Rights Council election was largely due to more candidates running than in previous years. Some argue that the Moon Jae-in administration's passive stance on North Korean human rights issues influenced the outcome, making North Korea's claims groundless.

Furthermore, the outlet harshly criticized Ambassador Hwang Jun-guk, who raised North Korean human rights issues twice on the 20th, saying he "spouted absurd nonsense." Ambassador Hwang had mentioned the worsening human rights and humanitarian situation in North Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the Third Committee meeting of the UN General Assembly and later raised the human rights issues of North Korean defector women during an open Security Council discussion.

In response, the outlet argued that North Korea overcame the COVID-19 situation in the shortest time and that women enjoy many benefits. It added, "This is a pitiful struggle to tarnish our dignified image and realize an anti-Republic confrontation alliance that has been ruined on the international stage," warning, "Whoever recklessly slanders our true human rights will not escape merciless punishment."

Meanwhile, the government, which has set a policy to actively engage in North Korean human rights issues, is expected to return as a co-sponsor of the North Korean human rights resolution after four years.

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