New York: A U.N. General Assembly committee on Wednesday passed a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 20th consecutive year, calling for the U.N. system as a whole to continue to address the North's "grave" situation "in a coordinated and unified manner."According to Yonhap News Agency, the Third Committee, which handles human rights and social affairs, adopted the resolution by consensus. The resolution expressed concerns over North Korea's recent declaration not to pursue reunification with South Korea, urging the repeal of practices and laws that suppress freedom of thought, expression, and religion. This marks the first time the resolution has addressed North Korea's public renouncement of reunification as a policy goal.The resolution highlighted "all-pervasive and severe restrictions" in North Korea, including an "absolute monopoly" on information and total control over organized social life. It specifically criticized newly enacted laws such as the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought an d Culture and the Youth Education Guarantee Law, which have further tightened these restrictions.The resolution also condemned North Korea for funding its "unlawful" nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs through human rights violations, such as forced labor. It noted that a disproportionate amount of North Korea's state budget is dedicated to military spending, compromising the fulfillment of basic human rights like the right to adequate food.A call was made within the resolution for the president of the General Assembly to organize a high-level plenary meeting featuring civil society representatives and experts to discuss human rights abuses in North Korea. It also urged the "immediate" return of all abductees from South Korea and Japan.South Korea's Deputy Ambassador to the U.N., Kim Sang-jin, implored Pyongyang to heed the General Assembly's concerns and improve its human rights situation. He lamented the lack of progress, citing deterioration in North Korea's human rights violations, which are said to amount to crimes against humanity according to a 2014 Commission of Inquiry report.Seoul's foreign ministry expressed approval of the resolution's adoption, recognizing it as a critical foundation for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry pledged to make comprehensive efforts to improve North Korea's human rights situation.North Korean Ambassador to the U.N., Kim Song, rejected the resolution, describing it as a politically motivated document intended to defame the DPRK's dignity. He dismissed the human rights issue as non-existent in North Korea.The resolution will be presented to a full General Assembly session for approval in December. The committee has passed this resolution annually since 2005 to spotlight human rights violations in North Korea and to urge Pyongyang to address these issues.
- October 12, 2026
