WASHINGTON — In a significant diplomatic move, South Korea, the United States, and Japan jointly called on North Korea to immediately cease all human rights violations, marking the 10th anniversary of a pivotal United Nations report on the state's rights abuses.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the call for action commemorates the release of the 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) report, which detailed "systematic, widespread and gross" human rights violations by North Korea. The statement urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to honor its international obligations by halting human rights abuses, resolving issues around abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war, and engaging with U.N. human rights experts.
The 2014 COI report highlighted that the human rights violations in North Korea could be considered "crimes against humanity," emphasizing the extreme nature and scale of the abuses. The three countries underscored that, a decade later, North Korea remains among the most oppressive regimes globally, severely limiting freedoms of expression, assembly, religion, and movement.
The joint statement also pointed to the connection between North Korea's human rights abuses and its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, noting the regime's use of forced and exploited labor to support its unlawful WMD endeavors. It highlighted policies that prioritize military needs over the well-being of its people, resulting in widespread malnourishment.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, separately reinforced the call for North Korea to undertake reforms as recommended by the COI report. Miller emphasized the U.S. government's commitment to addressing human rights abuses and violations in North Korea, advocating for global action to tackle the dire human rights situation and urging member states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement.
The 2014 COI report's recommendations for North Korea included significant and immediate institutional reforms, such as establishing checks and balances on the powers of the nation's leader and the ruling Workers' Party, introducing an independent judiciary, and creating a multiparty political system. The U.S. continues to prioritize human rights and dignity in North Korea, focusing on promoting accountability and increasing access to independent information within the country.