N. Korea attends UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review

[Anchor]

North Korea has attended a UN meeting that publicly reviews human rights issues for the first time in five years.

Many UN member states pointed out the dire human rights situation in the North and urged for the cessation of troop deployments, while Russia took a supportive stance.

Kim Kyung-jin reports.

[Report]

The 'Universal Periodic Review(UPR)' is conducted every four to five years on the UN stage to verify the human rights situation of member states.

In the UPR held after five years since 2019, North Korea claimed that the human rights of its citizens are sufficiently guaranteed.

[Jo Chol-su/North Korean Ambassador to Geneva: "During the last five years, the DPRK has made continued efforts for promotion and protection of human rights."]

However, out of 193 UN member states, 86 requested to speak, pointing out North Korea's horrific human rights situation.

Our government criticized the extreme militarization, effectively pointing to its troop deployments to Russia, as potentially leading to human rights violations.

[Yoon Seong-deok/Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Geneva: "Rectify the negative effects of extreme militarization, which repressed the fundamental rights, divert scarce resources away from its people toward the development of illicit WMDs."]

The United States recommended resolving the abduction issue, as well as the repeal of the so-called 'three major evil laws' enacted since 2020, including the Anti-Reactionary Ideology and Culture Law and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Law.

[Julie Turner/U.S. State Department Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights: "Facilitate reunification of divided families, including abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated POWs."]

Additionally, UN member states demanded the abolition of political prison camps, the guarantee of religious freedom, the cessation of forced labor, and the accession to international human rights treaties from North Korea.

In contrast, Russia defended North Korea's human rights situation.

[First Secretary of the Russian Mission to Geneva: "We note the satisfaction. The significant effect from the systemic measures by the North Korean government on promoting and protecting the rights and freedoms of vulnerable groups."]

China only provided a general recommendation to continue efforts to promote human rights.

This is KBS News, Kim Kyung-jin.