S. KOREA CO-SPONSORS UN RESOLUTION

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A United Nations committee has adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights violations. It will be put to a vote by the U.N. General Assembly next month. The committee has passed the resolution for the 18th consecutive year and for the first time in 4 years, South Korea has also joined as a cosponsor.

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The UN General Assembly Third Committee passed a resolution condemning extensive human rights violations committed by North Korea and calling for improvement. The bill was passed by consensus without a vote. The resolution denounces illegal detention, torture and abductions perpetrated by the regime and urges sanctions on those responsible. This year, it has newly added calls for Pyongyang to disclose all information to relevant authorities and bereaved families of victims. The addition is believed to reflect South Korea's request regarding the 2020 death of a fisheries official killed by the North in the west sea. For the first time since 2018, South Korea has co-sponsored the EU-led resolution. North Korean ambassador to the UN Kim Song flatly rejected the resolution as a political scheme and claimed Seoul's government was using human rights at the UN to avoid criticism of its recent crowd crush tragedy.

[Soundbite] Kim Song(N. Korean ambassador to U.N.) : "They're having triggered the man made disaster unlike recent unprecedented this from suffocation due to poor governance over the national affairs. South Korea does not even hesitate to run amok at the political side of confrontation, maximizing human rights issue on the U.N. arena, to a date internal and external criticism."

South Korea's deputy ambassador to the UN Bae Jong-in quickly hit back, criticizing the North's outrageous remarks about the crowd crush, saying it only further proves how the regime disregards human rights.

[Soundbite] Bae Jong-in(S. Korea's Deputy Permanent Representative to U.N.) : "DPRK continued its missile provocations, even while the international community was offering condolences to the victims of the tragedy. South Korean government is making our best efforts to ensure support for victims’ accountability and the prevention of any such recurrences."

The North Korea human rights resolution has been approved by the Third Committee every year since 2005. It will be referred to the UN General Assembly next month.