1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on February 28 on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council, underway in Geneva from February 27 to March 1. The two sides discussed major human rights issues, including the human rights situation in North Korea, as well as ways to increase cooperation between the ROK government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

2. Regarding the assassination of Kim Jong-nam which occurred recently in Malaysia, Minister Yun explained what Malaysian authorities announced, and said that such act illustrates the brutal and inhuman nature of the North Korean regime and constitutes not only a violation of international human rights instruments to which North Korea is a party, but also a direct challenge to the rules-based international order.

o Minister Yun also said that in order to end human rights violations by the North Korean leadership, it is important to hold human rights violators accountable, and stressed the importance of the role played by UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea and the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul, which opened in June 2015.

o As the issue of accountability for human rights violations in North Korea has been raised more strongly than ever before in the international community, including the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly, and the Security Council, since the Commission of Inquiry’s release of a historic report on the human rights situation in North Korea in 2014, Minister Yun asked human rights mechanisms, including the OHCHR, to pay more attention to the issue and play necessary roles.

o Minister Yun also reaffirmed the ROK government’s willingness to contribute to protecting and promoting human rights around the world, and said that the government will continue to closely cooperate with the OHCHR.

3. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid expressed appreciation for the ROK government’s contributions to the work of the UN human rights mechanisms, including through the Human Rights Office in Seoul. He also shared the concern over the serious human rights situation in North Korea and agreed on the need for the united efforts of the international community, including the UN human rights mechanisms, to hold human rights violators accountable. He promised to work closely together on the issue with the ROK government.


* unofficial translation