Government Confirmed to Join as Co-sponsor of 'North Korea Human Rights Resolution' After 4 Years (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "North Korea Human Rights Issue Is a Universal Concern"

Im Soo-seok, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Our government participated as a co-sponsor of the "North Korea Human Rights Resolution" submitted to this year's United Nations General Assembly.

Im, Senior Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at the regular briefing on the 1st, "The North Korea Human Rights Resolution, led by the European Union (EU), was presented at the 77th UN General Assembly Third Committee held yesterday (October 31) local time in New York," adding, "The government actively participated in the drafting consultations of this resolution and joined as a co-sponsor."

Spokesperson Im emphasized, "The government holds the position that North Korean human rights issues are universal human rights issues requiring a consistent response based on principles," and "We are actively participating in discussions within the UN and the international community to promote North Korean human rights."

The UN General Assembly North Korea Human Rights Resolution is a document expressing concern over human rights violations against North Korean residents and demands improvements. It is adopted annually, led by the UN Human Rights Council in June and the UN General Assembly at the end of the year.

This is the first time in four years that the South Korean government has participated as a co-sponsor of the UN General Assembly North Korea Human Rights Resolution.

Originally, the government had participated as a co-sponsor of the North Korea Human Rights Resolution from 2008 to 2018, but from 2019 until last year, it did not participate, citing considerations of the impact on inter-Korean relations. However, with President Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration, the government has expressed its intention to return as a co-sponsor, emphasizing the importance of international public discourse on North Korean human rights issues.

However, North Korea is expected to strongly oppose the discussion on the adoption of the UN General Assembly North Korea Human Rights Resolution this time, as it has repeatedly condemned the international community's criticism of North Korean human rights issues through propaganda media.

Meanwhile, the North Korea Human Rights Resolution submitted to the UN General Assembly Third Committee will be finally adopted after a vote in the General Assembly plenary session.

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