UN Resolution Targets North Korea’s ‘Evil’ Laws and Nuclear Ambitions—A Wake-up Call to the Regime

A resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korea. This year’s resolution notably includes criticisms of North Korea’s recently implemented “Two Hostile States” rhetoric and its three “Evil Laws” (referring to the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act, Youth Education Guarantee Act, and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act).

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Third Committee held a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday. The Third Committee, which deals with human rights issues, passed the North Korean human rights resolution by consensus without a vote. The resolution, which has been adopted for twenty consecutive years since 2005, will be presented at the UN General Assembly plenary session next month.

The member states expressed concerns about North Korea’s claim in January to pursue unification with South Korea no longer. This policy could negatively impact the human rights situation, including the issue of separated families.

They also highlighted that North Korea severely restricts freedom of thought and conscience through its three oppressive laws, emphasizing the need to abolish or reform all practices and laws that infringe upon these freedoms.

For the first time, the resolution included criticism of North Korea’s “Two Hostile States Doctrine” and the three “Evil Laws,” which also featured prominently in the recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of North Korea by the UN. Additionally, member states criticized North Korea for funding its illegal nuclear and missile programs through human rights abuses, such as forced labor, and for allocating a disproportionate portion of its national budget to military spending, which undermines respect for human rights.

The resolution further called for the immediate return of all kidnapped victims from Japan and South Korea. It also requests that the UN General Assembly President convene a high-level meeting to hear testimonies from civil society representatives and experts about human rights violations in North Korea.

After the resolution was adopted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a welcoming statement through its spokesperson, “This year marks the tenth anniversary of the publication of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) report on North Korean human rights. We appreciate that the international community has sent a consistent and united message expressing concern over the serious human rights situation in North Korea and urging the country to take action for improvement.”

The Ministry also reiterated the importance of addressing human rights issues in North Korea as part of the broader goal of peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula, as stated in the August 15 Unification Doctrine. South Korea affirmed its commitment to continuing efforts to improve human rights in North Korea.