UN Adopts North Korea Human Rights Resolution for 18th Consecutive Year

UN Third Committee Unanimously Adopts Resolution Condemning North Korea's Systematic Human Rights Violations
Scheduled for General Assembly Plenary Next Month, North Korea Strongly Protests Mention of 'Itaewon Disaster'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Third Committee of the United Nations, responsible for human rights, adopted the North Korea human rights resolution for the 18th consecutive year. This resolution is scheduled to be presented at the UN General Assembly plenary session next month.

On the 16th (local time), the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly held a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, and passed the North Korea human rights resolution condemning North Korea's systematic and widespread human rights violations and demanding corrective measures. No member state requested a vote, so it was adopted unanimously without a vote.

This year's resolution, in which the South Korean government participated as a sponsoring country for the first time in four years, newly included content related to the killing of a South Korean public official in the West Sea and the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen.

The resolution, led by European Union (EU) member states, saw South Korea participate as a co-sponsoring country for the first time in four years since 2018.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We actively participated in the consultation on the resolution's wording."

This resolution added the sentence urging North Korea to disclose all relevant information to the bereaved families and related organizations, in addition to existing provisions concerning concerns about torture, summary executions, arbitrary detention, and abductions of foreigners.

This is interpreted as reflecting the demands of the South Korean government and the bereaved families regarding the killing of the South Korean public official in the West Sea.

Regarding the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen, the resolution also included the phrase, "North Korean residents being repatriated to North Korea must not be subjected to enforced disappearance, arbitrary execution, torture, or unfair treatment."

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the resolution newly included content urging the allowance of access to North Korea by international humanitarian organizations.

The rest of the content, including direct criticism aimed at the North Korean regime, largely reflected the wording of previous resolutions.

The resolution recommended the UN Security Council refer the North Korean human rights situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and consider additional sanctions targeting "those deemed most responsible for human rights violations." This appears to be aimed at Kim Jong-un, the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Additionally, it pointed out issues such as torture, arbitrary detention, sexual violence, political prison camps, enforced disappearances, restrictions on freedom of movement, treatment of repatriated defectors, restrictions on freedom of thought, religion, expression, and assembly, violations of economic, social, and cultural rights, and human rights violations against women, children, and persons with disabilities.

The resolution stated, "It condemns the diversion of resources to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles instead of the welfare of the people."

North Korea strongly opposed this. At the meeting, Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, said, "We firmly reject the contents of the resolution" and called it a "political tactic."

He then brought up the Itaewon tragedy to criticize the South Korean government.

Ambassador Kim claimed that South Korea, which participated as a co-sponsoring country, "triggered an unprecedented crush accident caused by a lack of domestic governance capability," and argued that "such a South Korean government is trying to use human rights issues at the UN as much as possible to downplay domestic and international criticism." In other words, North Korea brought up the Itaewon tragedy to defend against the North Korean human rights issue.

In response, the South Korean government countered.

Deputy Ambassador Bae Jong-in of the South Korean Mission to the UN requested to speak and criticized, "North Korea's absurd remarks about the recent tragedy clearly show North Korea's disregard for human rights," adding, "North Korea conducted missile provocations even while the world was expressing condolences."

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