1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended and delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of the UN Human Rights Office (Seoul) hosted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) at the Global Center, Seoul, on June 23.

* The UN Human Rights Office (Seoul) has been established by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution 25/25 adopted at the body’s 25th regular session in March 2014. Under the resolution, it is tasked with monitoring and documenting human rights issues in North Korea; ensuring accountability for human rights violations; and carrying out promotional activities.

2. In his congratulatory remarks, Minister Yun, calling the field office’s opening day a day of historic milestone for the Republic of Korea and the UN, noted with appreciation that the opening of the Seoul office will be recorded as a significant step forward in promoting and protecting human rights and dignity in North Korea.

◦ The Minister brought attention the fact that the international community had come to clearly learn about the harsh reality of human rights violations in North Korea from the report issued by the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) last year. He went on to commend the UN General Assembly, the UNHRC and the UN Security Council for responding to the issue through swift, resolute and ranging measures, including the adoption of strongly-worded resolutions and of North Korean human rights issues as agenda items.

◦ Furthermore, he commented that the creation of the UN Human Rights Office (Seoul) in merely two years since the UNCOI made recommendations demonstrates the aspirations and absolute support of the international community for improvements in the human rights situation in North Korea.

◦ The Minister, bringing attention to the fact that the year 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN and the 800th anniversary of the creation of Magna Carta, attached special significance to the spirit of Magna Carta and the UN Charter that puts top priority on mankind. Calling history a record of advances in human rights and the spirit of humanitarianism in the long term, he shed light on the significance of the opening of the OHCHR field office in Seoul.

3. Minister Yun expressed high hopes for the UN field office, which the international community had had to overcome difficulties to build, adding that the ROK government, its host, expects it to carry out the following three main functions.

◦ The three functions expected from the Seoul office are monitoring and documenting human rights issues in North Korea; raising awareness on the issues and serving as a catalyst for enhanced networking between human rights advocates and relevant stakeholders; and acting as a contributor to the protection and promotion of human rights of the North Korean people.

4. In addition, Minister Yun, calling the respect for human rights an essential element in the ROK’s diplomacy, pointed out that the ROK government’s acceptance of the OHCHR’s request to host the field office last year demonstrates the ROK government’s commitment to respecting and promoting human rights.

◦ He also stressed that in order to resolve humanitarian issues facing the peoples of North Korea and the ROK as called for by the “Agenda for Humanity” proposed by President Park in Dresden, Germany, in 2014, resources being channeled into nuclear programs in North Korea should be redirected to a better purpose of improving the quality of the North Korean people’s lives.

5. In closing, Minister Yun brought renewed attention to the remarks made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the international Human Rights Day in 2014 -- “Every day is Human Rights day: a day on which we work to ensure that all people can gain equality, dignity and freedom.” With the UN Human Rights Office (Seoul) opened, the Minister proposed making efforts toward the day when the people of North Korea will come to truly enjoy equality, dignity and freedom.


* unofficial translation