'North Korean Human Rights' Series Discussion... "North Korea Likely to Feel Threatened and React"

Second Meeting of North Korean Human Rights Policy Council Scheduled for the 9th
UN Security Council Also Holds Closed-Door Discussion on 'North Korean Human Rights'
"Perceived as Insult to Supreme Dignity... Backlash Expected"

The scene of the 2022 1st North Korean Human Rights Policy Council meeting held on August 2, after 2 years and 3 months. The North Korean Human Rights Policy Council was established under Article 17 of the Enforcement Decree of the North Korean Human Rights Act to facilitate interdepartmental cooperation and consultation on North Korean human rights issues. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] As South Korea and the international community strengthen discussions on North Korean human rights issues, strong backlash from North Korea is expected.

Earlier, on the 16th of last month, when the UN General Assembly Third Committee adopted the North Korean Human Rights Resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korea for the 18th consecutive year, North Korea criticized it as a "political scheme" and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) two days later.

According to the Ministry of Unification on the 8th, the 2nd meeting of the North Korean Human Rights Policy Council, chaired by Vice Minister Kim Ki-woong, will be held on the 9th. The council is an inter-agency consultative body on North Korean human rights issues. In this meeting, related agencies including the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Justice will attend to discuss the establishment of the 3rd Basic Plan for the Promotion of North Korean Human Rights.

The council had not been convened for over two years since its last meeting in May 2020 but was reactivated in August this year after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Since the 2nd Basic Plan for the Promotion of North Korean Human Rights under the Moon Jae-in administration faced considerable criticism for including the phrase "considering North Korea's position," the policy stance is expected to become tougher this time.

Furthermore, the UN Security Council is also scheduled to hold a meeting on North Korean human rights issues on the 9th (local time), according to a report by Voice of America (VOA). According to UN sources, this meeting will be held behind closed doors.

United Nations Security Council meeting held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

As discussions on North Korean human rights are taking place in succession, North Korea's backlash is anticipated. Previously, on the 16th of last month, when the UN General Assembly Third Committee adopted the North Korean Human Rights Resolution condemning the authorities' human rights violations and urging improvements for the 18th consecutive year, North Korea, through Ambassador Kim Song at the UN, denounced it as a "political scheme."

Additionally, the propaganda media Uri Minjokki accused, "The Yoon Suk-yeol puppet traitorous faction committed the reckless act of joining as a 'co-sponsor' in the anti-Republic hostile forces' 'North Korean Human Rights Resolution' fabrication scheme." At that time, South Korea participated as a co-sponsor of the North Korean Human Rights Resolution for the first time in four years since 2018.

Experts see a high possibility of North Korea's backlash. They analyze that attention will be paid to the growing voices that the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea next year should be used as an opportunity to raise North Korean human rights issues.

Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University’s Department of North Korean Studies stated, "Since discussions have emerged about referring Kim Jong-un and those responsible for human rights violations in North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC), North Korea perceives the raising of human rights issues as a challenge to its regime," adding, "As they view the value of human rights as a scheme led by the United States to crush them, there is a high possibility of further backlash."

However, there is also speculation that North Korea's level of backlash will not escalate to armed provocations.

Moon Sung-mook, head of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, said, "Since they take human rights criticism as an insult to their supreme dignity, they will definitely retaliate," and predicted, "Rather, they might claim, 'We have no human rights issues,' and argue that South Korea or the United States are the problem." He added, "However, if they do carry out armed provocations, they are likely to attach other military justifications such as joint South Korea-US military exercises rather than human rights issues."

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