1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, on February 15 to discuss ways to cooperate in promoting human rights in North Korea.

2. Minister Cho said that it has been a decade since the landmark report of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on human rights in the DPRK was released, yet there remains significant concern about ongoing severe human rights abuses in North Korea. With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the COI report, Minister Cho and Special Envoy Turner emphasized the need to strengthen efforts to advance North Korean human rights while reflecting on the past decade.

3. In this context, Minister Cho looked forward to continued cooperation on North Korean human rights on the international stage, leveraging the opportunities presented by the strongest-ever ROK-U.S. ties, along with the concurrent membership of the ROK, the U.S., and Japan in the UN Security Council. He particularly emphasized a comprehensive approach to security issues, such as the North Korean nuclear problem, and human rights concerns because these two issues are interconnected like the two sides of the same coin. He also underscored the need to continue efforts to seek accountability for human rights abuses in North Korea.

4. Minister Cho stressed that the ROK government would persistently strengthen diplomatic efforts for the prompt resolution of issues related to North Korean defectors, abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war. Furthermore, Minister Cho highlighted plans to raise awareness in the Global South to promote international discourse on North Korean human rights and requested the attention and cooperation of the U.S. side on this matter.

5. Special Envoy Turner expressed gratitude for the support from the ROK government for her visit to Korea and committed to closely work together with the ROK for the promotion of North Korean human rights through the ROK-U.S. Consultations on North Korean Human Rights as well as collaboration with Dr. Lee, Shin-wha, the ROK Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights.