Seoul, April 5 (Yonhap) - South Korea has welcomed the recent United Nations resolution condemning North Korea's severe human rights abuses and has urged North Korea to take immediate action to address the issues of detainees, abductees, and prisoners of war.
The statement comes after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the resolution during its 55th regular session in Geneva, marking the 22nd consecutive year such a resolution has been passed.
Expressing deep concern over the ongoing systemic, widespread, and serious violations of human rights in North Korea, Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson for the unification ministry responsible for inter-Korean affairs, stated in a regular press briefing, "The government urges North Korea to implement measures to improve human rights in accordance with the resolution, including resolving the issues related to abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war, as well as ensuring access to information for North Korean residents."
Kim also mentioned that the government has actively participated in drafting the resolution and is committed to collaborating closely with the intern
ational community to address these issues and improve the overall human rights situation in North Korea.
The ministry has intensified its efforts to address human rights issues and garner international support for the repatriation of victims.
In March, ministry officials, along with the son of Choi Chun-gil, a South Korean missionary detained in North Korea, visited Geneva.
Choi is one of six South Koreans currently detained in North Korea, including two other missionaries, Kim Jung-wook and Kim Kook-kie, whose whereabouts or fates remain unknown.