1. The Korean government welcomes the adoption of the resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) by consensus at the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on April 4 (Geneva time), following last year’s resolution. Fifty-seven countries, including Korea which participated for the first time in five years, co-sponsored the resolution. The UNHRC has adopted the resolution by consensus since 2016, which testifies to the international community’s concern over the grave human rights situation in the DPRK.

2. In the resolution, the UNHRC condemns in the strongest terms the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and other human rights abuses committed in the DPRK; and urges the DPRK government to acknowledge its crimes, abuses and human rights violations and to take immediately all steps necessary to end all such crimes, abuses and violations. 

3. The Korean government takes note that this year’s resolution reflects for the first time concern over the nationals of other States Members detained in the DPRK. In the resolution, for the first time, the UNHRC condemns the DPRK’s limitation of the freedom to seek, receive and impart all kinds of thoughts and information; and calls for a review of the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture. In the resolution, recalling the UN General Assembly resolution on the situation of human rights in the DPRK adopted during the 77th session last year, the UNHRC also calls on the DPRK to disclose all information, regarding human rights violations and abuses against citizens of other countries within and outside of its territory, to their bereaved families and relevant entities, and to ensure safety and dignity of the DPRK citizens expelled or repatriated to the DPRK.

4. The Korean government is deeply concerned over the ongoing systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations in the DPRK as noted in the UNHRC resolution; and urges the DPRK to take steps necessary to promote human rights and to expand cooperation with the UN human rights mechanisms in accordance with the resolution.