The nation will co-sponsor an annual UN resolution that raises concerns over North Korea’s human rights situation, the foreign ministry said, defying some expectations that Seoul might withhold support to avoid irking Pyongyang.
North Korea has in the past denounced the resolution, and under a previous liberal administration, Seoul did not support it in a bid to improve ties with the North.
South Korea supported the human rights resolutions between 2008 and 2018, before opting not to back them between 2019 and 2022 under former President Moon Jae-in due to fears it could have a negative impact on inter-Korean relations.
Seoul rejoined as a co-sponsor in 2023 under conservative ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Liberal leader Lee Jae-myung took office in June, pledging to restore dialogue with Pyongyang to ease tensions between the two countries, but North Korea has rebuffed his efforts so far.
In late October, rights organisations sent an open letter to Lee urging him to “take a principled stance on North Korea’s grave human rights violations” with the co-sponsorship of the UN resolution.
“Our government believes that it is important to actually improve the human rights of North Koreans and will continue to cooperate with the international community to achieve this,” the ministry said in a statement.
“So we are participating as a co-sponsor this time for the North Korea human rights resolution,” it said. — Reuters
