The South Korean government stated that human rights, peace, and security are interconnected and emphasized the urgent need for North Korea to comply with international law in response to a UN human rights report, which describes issues of human rights violations by the North Korean military.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, on Thursday, Song Si Jin, Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Geneva, assessed the report submitted by Elizabeth Salmón, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, during the “58th session of the Human Rights Council: Interactive Dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” held on Wednesday at the UN Office in Geneva.
The report, presented at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, examined the deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine. It raised concerns about possible human rights violations in the soldiers’ service conditions and stressed the need to ensure their protection under international law if they are captured.
The South Korean government pointed out the possibility of inhumane treatment for forcibly repatriated North Korean defectors. It urged all UN member states to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement. It also called for the immediate release of three missionaries—Kim Jong Uk, Kim Kuk Ki, and Choi Chun Gil—detained in North Korea, as well as a prompt resolution to the issue of separated families.
The government also urged North Korea to faithfully implement the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations and constructively engage in reviewing North Korea’s report on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), scheduled for this August.
The government announced that it will continue to pursue multifaceted efforts to improve human rights in North Korea through various platforms, including the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.