"Terrible Human Rights Violations, North Korean Regime Must Be Held Accountable" UN Security Council Holds North Korea Human Rights Meeting After 6 Years (Comprehensive)

"North Korean residents have no human rights, no freedom of expression, and no rule of law." "The North Korean regime must be held accountable for repeated violations of international law and human rights abuses." On the 17th (local time), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an open meeting to discuss North Korean human rights issues for the first time in about six years. At this meeting, North Korean defectors also attended as representatives of civil society to testify about the realities of human rights abuses in North Korea. Member states including the United States and Japan strongly condemned the human rights violations in North Korea.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, stated at the Security Council meeting held at the UN Headquarters in New York that day, "We cannot have peace without human rights," adding, "North Korea is a prime example." This was the first open meeting on North Korean human rights issues at the Security Council since 2017, about six years ago.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield criticized the Kim Jong-un regime for its totalitarian control, human rights abuses, and suppression of freedom, saying these factors allow it to allocate massive public resources to the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. She also labeled North Korea a "war machine" that has repeatedly violated Security Council resolutions, stating it "operates through oppression and cruelty."

Japan's Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane pointed out, "The horrific human rights situation in North Korea remains unchanged, and there is not even a sign of improvement," adding, "North Korea's human rights abuses are unprecedented in the modern world." Perit Hoza, Albania's Ambassador who co-sponsored the North Korean human rights agenda along with South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, said he himself lived under a similar regime and urged, "The North Korean regime must not only defend but also take responsibility for repeated violations of international law and human rights abuses."

South Korea's Ambassador to the UN, Hwang Joon-kook, argued, "North Korea's human rights abuses clearly violate the universal values enshrined in the UN Charter and pose a threat to international peace and security." Ambassador Hwang emphasized, "Despite severe economic difficulties and worsening chronic food shortages, North Korea has devoted itself to unprecedented military provocations over the past year and a half, including 12 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), wasting scarce resources on WMD technology development and displays of power," adding, "The human rights violations in North Korea are not only a problem for its people but also a critical issue directly linked to South Korea's national security." He pointed out that diverting resources to WMDs at the expense of citizens' welfare is only possible in a country where all political dissent is completely suppressed.

Ambassador Hwang criticized that about 100,000 people are detained in political prison camps in North Korea, where severe human rights abuses occur. He continued, "Due to the horrific living conditions, North Korean residents continue to risk their lives to defect," urging, "We must not ignore reality by claiming that discussing North Korean human rights in the Security Council politicizes human rights."

Ambassador Hwang Jun-guk to the UN is speaking at the official meeting on North Korean human rights issues held at the UN Security Council on the 17th (local time).
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the other hand, China and Russia, permanent members of the Security Council, expressed that it is inappropriate for the Security Council to discuss human rights issues. China's Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang, said, "The main responsibility of the UN Security Council is to maintain international peace and security," adding, "If we truly care about North Korean human rights issues, sanctions on North Korea should be lifted and dialogue pursued." Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative, called raising human rights issues in North Korea "hypocrisy by the U.S. and its allies," and said, "The U.S., Japan, and South Korea are strengthening their military presence in the East Asia region."

Contrary to expectations, China and Russia did not oppose the agenda item on North Korean human rights issues during the official meeting. As a result, the agenda item was adopted without a procedural vote. Analysts suggest these countries refrained from opposing because they recognized the agenda had already secured the necessary support during procedural voting. The North Korean delegation did not attend the meeting.

The meeting did not lead to official responses such as a statement condemning North Korea or the adoption of additional sanctions resolutions. Instead, after the Security Council session, representatives from 52 countries including South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held a brief press conference at the UN Headquarters, appealing for UN member states' participation to improve North Korea's human rights situation. As consensus on the seriousness of North Korean human rights issues spread, many ambassador-level officials participated.

Kim Il-hyeok, a defector from North Korea, is denouncing the reality of human rights violations in North Korea at the official meeting on North Korean human rights issues held at the UN Security Council on the 17th (local time).
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

At the meeting, a young defector attended and directly exposed the realities of human rights abuses in North Korea. Kim Il-hyuk, a North Korean defector currently studying at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "North Korean residents have no human rights, no freedom of expression, and no rule of law," adding, "Those who oppose the regime are taken to political prison camps and forced to labor until death." He also revealed that his aunt was tortured and beaten for months in a political prison camp, separated from her young children, simply because she did not report his family's defection. He further said, "I wholeheartedly pray for the day when all North Korean residents can enjoy the freedoms we take for granted."

In his closing remarks, Kim spoke in Korean instead of English, saying, "Dictatorship cannot last forever. Stop committing crimes and start acting humanely, even now," delivering a sharp rebuke to the North Korean regime. Ambassadors from various countries, including Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, expressed gratitude for Kim's courageous testimony and criticized the reality of human rights abuses in North Korea during their speeches.

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