Statement by the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on the adoption of the 52nd UN Human Rights Council resolution on the human rights of North Korea
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea ( Chairperson Song Doo-hwan ) welcomes the adoption of the resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea by consensus without a vote at the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 4 April 2023 (Geneva time).
The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on human rights in North Korea every year since 2003, including without a vote in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
The adoption of the resolution without a vote for eight consecutive years reflects the international community's shared concern about the gravity of the human rights situation in North Korea.
The adoption of the resolution on human rights in North Korea is significant because the South Korean government joined as a co-sponsor for the first time in five years, called for a review of the Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Exclusion Act, which defines all content produced outside North Korea as reactionary thought and culture, and added a new clause to existing clauses highlighting human rights abuses suffered by North Korean prisoners of war and their descendants, and drawing attention to foreigners detained in North Korea without information on their health or detention status.
In particular, the resolution calls on North Korea to fulfil its obligations as a party to the Vienna Convention, including guaranteeing consular access and communication rights to foreigners, including South Korean nationals, detained in North Korea.
In 2017, the NHRCK submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (WGEID) under the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General requesting the safe repatriation of six of our nationals detained in North Korea.
The WGEID has launched an investigation and sent several letters to North Korea, but due to North Korea's non-cooperation, including repeated insubstantial responses, serious human rights violations continue, including the fact that the families of the missing do not even know whether their loved ones are alive or dead.
In line with the human rights resolutions on North Korea adopted by the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council and the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (New York, 22 December 15), we once again call on the North Korean authorities to provide relevant information on foreign nationals detained in North Korea and to ensure the safe return of those forcibly deported or returned to North Korea and that they are not subjected to all kinds of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary executions, torture and ill-treatment.
The NHRCK are deeply concerned about the longstanding, widespread and grave human rights violations in the DPRK, as noted in this Council resolution, and hope that the issues called for in this resolution will be addressed through a proactive change of attitude by the DPRK authorities and constructive dialogue and cooperation with the international community.
