열린장관실

Welcoming Remarks by H.E. Park Jin

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea

International Forum on North Korean Human Rights

15 September, 2023

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Hello and good morning.

I am Park Jin,

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.

Lord David Alton,

Ambassador Lee Shinwha,

Former Minister Hyun In-taek,

Ambassador Oh Joon,

Excellencies, and participants,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome everyone to this important forum today, both in person and virtually.   

We are gathered here today to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK.

As such, it would be fitting to begin with the unforgettable words of the 2014 COI report.

(I quote) “Systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been, and are being committed, by the DPRK, its institutions and officials.

In many instances, the violations found by the commission constitute crimes against humanity.”(unquote)

The report went on to issue a clarion call for action, highlighting the inadequacy of the international community’s response.

Here I want to recognize with great appreciation the on-line presence of the Honorable Michael Kirby.

As you all know, Mr. Kirby chaired the COI and gave voice to those powerful words.

The COI report illustrated countless examples of how human rights were brutally trampled on.

For instance, the report cites the case of a woman who had sold South Korean soap operas and movies.

She was publicly executed in 2010 in 함경남도Province.

The report also found that forced abortions and infanticide against repatriated mothers was prevalent.

The premise was that all repatriated pregnant women could be carrying babies conceived by Chinese men.

The North Korean Human Rights Report was publicly released for the first time by

the Yoon Suk Yeol Government this March.

It vividly documents how such despicable abuse of human rights is continuing year after year.

For instance, a North Korean man had watched a South Korean drama and distributed it to other North Koreans.

He too was publicly executed in 양강 province in 2017.

As for forced abortion, one defector described witnessing a forced abortion of a woman who had been repatriated against her will in 2017. 

She was in her third month of pregnancy.

These are reminders that we have a very long way to go when it comes to human rights in North Korea.

They are a wakeup call that we really must step up to fulfill our collective responsibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past decade, we have seen how the abysmal human rights situation in North Korea has been going hand in hand with the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

There are three aspects to this nexus between human rights on one hand, and Korean Peninsula security on the other.

They are like two sides of the same coin.

First, North Korea continues to squander scarce resources on its weapons of mass destruction programs at the expense of its own people.

It is launching record numbers of missiles and so-called satellites, while its people are starving and suffering from repression. 

If the multi-million and the tens of million dollars squandered on every missile launch had instead been spent on improving people’s lives, it would have substantially eased their hardship.

Second, the regime denies its people freedom of expression as well as access to information.

This allows Pyongyang to move full steam ahead with its nuclear and missile capabilities with political impunity at home.

It is all guns and no butter in North Korea.

You cannot eat nuclear bombs or missiles!

Third, North Korean workers overseas make earnings that are exploited by the regime to finance its nuclear and missile programs.

The workers themselves face grueling working conditions with no holidays and minimal compensation.

North Korea’s actions are irrational, irresponsible, and immoral.

And just as peace without denuclearization is fake peace, peace without human rights is hypocritical spurious peace.

Distinguished Participants,

The Yoon Suk Yeol government is committed to bringing the plight of the North Korean people to the center stage of international attention.

The first-ever publication of the North Korean Human Rights Report has already been mentioned.

We are advocating for meaningful improvements in North Korea’s human rights bilaterally and multilaterally.

President Yoon’s state visit to the US in April and the historic Camp David trilateral summit last month are key examples.

During those occasions, President Yoon agreed with President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida that they would strengthen cooperation to promote human rights in North Korea.

They also declared their commitment to the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war.

Our efforts are equally demonstrable on the global stage.

On August 17^th, the UN Security Council formally discussed the issue of North Korean human rights in an open briefing.

This came after a prolonged six-year hiatus.

The ROK government joined as a stakeholder, contributing to the dialogue.

Former UN Ambassador 오준 is here with us today. 

He is no stranger to the open briefing setting.

He very memorably spoke out for North Korean human rights at the UN Security Council in December 2014. 

He said, I quote “I’m saying this with a heavy heart. Because for South Koreans, people in North Korea are not just anybody.” Unquote.

The Korean government intends to make full use of its seat on the UN Security Council for 2024-2025.

We will strengthen our efforts to champion the issue of North Korean human rights in New York, Geneva and elsewhere.   

No less important, North Korean defectors must not be repatriated against their will. 

Korea has been urging the relevant countries to allow defectors to safely and expeditiously reach

their desired destinations.

Aspiring to make Korea a Global Pivotal State, or GPS in short, the Yoon Suk Yeol government is putting the promotion of universal values and the rules-based order at the center of its foreign policy.

We will actively contribute to freedom, peace, and prosperity around the world, with a commitment to human rights at its core.

Finally, I would be remiss not to touch upon events that are taking place in the Russian Far East over the past few days.

North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development constitutes clear violations of ten

UN Security Council resolutions – starting from 1718(seventeen eighteen), 1874(eighteen seventy-four), etcetera, all the way to 2397(twenty-three ninety-seven).

Just as important, all forms of arms trade and related cooperation with North Korea also directly infringe multiple Security Council resolutions.

Both present significant threats to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific and beyond. 

Attempts to assist North Korea’s unlawful programs or to engage in arms trade with North Korea must therefore stop. It’s an illegal arms trade.

We sternly warn that these actions not only flagrantly violate multiple resolutions, but also endanger Korea’s security. 

As President Yoon has been stressing, permanent members of the Security Council have a heavier duty to abide by binding resolutions adopted by the Council.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have no illusions that journey ahead of us will be long and arduous.

But the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will not waver in its determination to speak up and speak out on North Korea’s human rights.

We will do so in solidarity with the international community and civil society. 

We count on your continued robust engagement and support along this challenging path.

Finally, I look forward to fruitful discussions pointing to specific and effective means and measures that bring us closer to our aspiration.

Once again, my sincere thanks to all of you for your participation.

Thank you. 감사합니다.

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