North-South Representatives Clash at UN: "International Community Must Be Heard" vs. "South Spread COVID-19"

North: "Human rights issues? Do not exist"
South: "Must cooperate with the international community"

At a United Nations meeting where countries around the world discuss human rights issues, representatives from South and North Korea sharply clashed over North Korea's human rights situation. They raised their voices, exchanging rebuttals and counter-rebuttals. North Korea reiterated its claim that South Korean leaflets flying into the border area brought the COVID-19 virus to North Korea.

North Korea pointed out that South Korea, which raised human rights concerns, has more severe human rights violations, while our government countered by urging North Korea to stop making baseless claims and to listen to the international community's voices highlighting serious human rights issues.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Bang Gwang-hyuk, Deputy Chief of the North Korean Mission in Geneva, said on the 3rd (local time) during the fifth day of the high-level session of the UN Human Rights Council that the criticisms from representatives of Austria, South Korea, Japan, and other countries regarding North Korea's human rights issues were "illegal acts aimed at tarnishing North Korea's image by fabricating non-existent human rights problems."

He particularly expressed "deep concern over South Korea's organized and widespread human rights violations over decades, including human trafficking, exploitation, forced labor, and overseas abductions of North Korean people through the National Security Act and other malicious laws."

Regarding Japan, Deputy Chief Bang said, "Japan has not acknowledged its crimes despite having enslaved about 200,000 women as sex slaves in the past," and demanded that "Japan sincerely reflect on these crimes against humanity and compensate the victims."

Our government exercised its right to reply. Yoon Sung-mi, Deputy Chief of the South Korean Mission in Geneva, rebutted the part North Korea referred to as "overseas abduction of its citizens," stating, "Defectors came to South Korea of their own free will and settled like ordinary people."

Deputy Chief Yoon responded, "The North Korean Human Rights Act was enacted based on the international community's concerns to protect and promote the human rights of North Korean residents living in harsh conditions, and the National Security Act is a necessary law to safeguard the free democratic order of the Republic of Korea considering North Korea's continuous security threats."

She continued, "North Korea should stop baseless accusations and listen to the international community's voices that systematic and widespread human rights violations continue," and sharply urged, "Instead of obsessing over nuclear weapons and missiles, cooperate with the international community, including the UN human rights mechanisms."

Deputy Chief Park, having obtained a second right to reply, claimed, "South Korean leaflets flying into the border area brought the COVID-19 virus to North Korea," and argued, "Deliberately spreading the virus and tolerating such acts are clear crimes against humanity. South Korea must take responsibility, punish the perpetrators, and prevent recurrence."

Deputy Chief Yoon also obtained another right to reply, stating, "North Korea's absurd remarks are simply untrue and lack scientific evidence," and said, "It is inappropriate and regrettable for North Korea to blame leaflets for the spread of COVID-19. Instead of making baseless accusations, we urge North Korea to respond to the international community's cooperation proposals and take responsible measures for the health of its people."

The Voice of America (VOA) interpreted that the heated exchange between the South and North Korean representatives on the international stage is a markedly different response compared to the South Korean government's passive approach to North Korean issues during the Moon Jae-in administration.

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