South Korea to co-sponsor U.N. resolution on North Korea rights
· UPIMarch 28 (Asia Today) -- South Korea has decided to join as a co-sponsor of a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution addressing human rights conditions in North Korea.
The Foreign Ministry said Saturday the decision was made after consultations with relevant agencies, citing the need for cooperation with the international community to improve the human rights situation of North Korean residents.
The resolution was drafted by the European Union and Australia and is expected to be adopted at the 61st session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Sunday, local time.
The government had weighed whether participation could affect efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue and build trust. It ultimately concluded that a principled response was necessary because human rights are a universal value.
Analysts say the move is unlikely to significantly affect inter-Korean relations, as North Korea has already maintained a hardline stance toward the South.
The United Nations adopts resolutions on North Korean human rights each year at both the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. South Korea co-sponsored the resolution from 2008 through 2018, did not participate from 2019 to 2021 and resumed participation in 2022.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260328010008573