1. The government of the Republic of Korea welcomes that the UN Security Council adopted the “situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea” as its agenda for the first time on December 22 and started to discuss the North Korean human rights issue.

2. This demonstrates concerns that the serious human rights situation in the DPRK has also a severe impact on the region and international peace and security. The ROK government looks forward to continued in-depth discussions at the Security Council to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK, including on the issue of ensuring accountability, as recommended by this year’s UN General Assembly resolution.

3. The ROK government once again urges North Korea to accept the demands of the international community and take necessary measures to ensure that all North Korean people can enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms. 


             Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

*unofficial translation