이민지
| 2023-12-18 11:51:19
unification minister-N Korea
Unification minister says human rights violations 'status quo' in N. Korea
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's point man on North Korea called Monday for concerted international efforts to address the North's dire human rights situation, saying such violations are the "status quo" in the reclusive country.
North Korea has been under pressure from the international community to improve its human rights situation, though no meaningful progress has been reported.
"Despite the long-standing international endeavors, including the North Korean human rights resolutions, human rights violations are still the status quo in North Korea," Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said in an international forum that brought together security and human rights officials and experts.
High-profile participants included Lee Shin-wha, the ambassador-at-large for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, and Ambassador Julie Turner, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights.
Lee, the human rights envoy, stressed the importance of tackling the "global fatigue phenomenon" associated with long-standing issues surrounding the North and noted efforts are being undertaken to "ensure that such issues are not overshadowed or forgotten by other global crises."
In 2014, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry issued a landmark report after a yearlong probe, saying North Korean leaders are responsible for "widespread, systematic and gross" violations of human rights.
North Korea has long been accused of grave human rights abuses, ranging from holding political prisoners in concentration camps to committing torture and carrying out public executions.
Still, North Korea claimed its people are freely enjoying genuine human rights in a white paper issued earlier this month on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.
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