On the 25th (local time), the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the final results of the 'Universal Periodic Review' (UPR) that examined the human rights situation in North Korea in Geneva, Switzerland.
The verification process has concluded with North Korea rejecting about half of the UN recommendations. The South Korean government expressed concern over the deterioration of human rights caused by North Korea's extreme militarization.
The UPR is a process in which 193 UN member states review their own human rights situations, and the results of the fourth cycle UPR conducted on North Korea last November were adopted on this day.
During the UPR, a flood of recommendations for human rights improvement in North Korea from UN member states was presented, including South Korea's recommendations calling for the immediate resolution of the issues of abducted persons, detainees, military captives, and separated families, as well as adherence to the principle of non-refoulement and ratification of the Convention Against Torture and elimination of discrimination against women. However, North Korea expressed refusal to 144 out of 294 recommendations.
Ambassador Yoon Sung-duk of the South Korean Mission to Geneva said on that day, "We regret that North Korea has rejected half of the recommendations presented by the UN member states and all those presented by South Korea," and urged that "North Korea should familiarize itself with the recommendations of the international community and make serious efforts to implement them."
Ambassador Yoon also said, "North Korea must release South Korean detainees, especially missionaries Kim Jong-wook, Choi Chun-gil, and Kim Guk-ki, and swiftly resolve the issues of abducted persons, war prisoners, and separated families," adding, "North Korea should stop inhumane treatment and torture of those who have been forcibly returned and respect the principle of non-refoulement."
He specifically expressed "serious concern over the negative impact of North Korea's extreme militarization on the human rights situation" and urged that "North Korea cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms and constructively participate in the review of the state report on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in August."