Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Should Develop Economy, Not Missiles, Civil Society Representative Tells Security Council, Highlighting Population’s Plight
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea invests most of its efforts into developing its military power, ignoring the State’s responsibility to allow its people to live full lives, a defector from that country told the Security Council today, stating that he wanted to become his country’s diplomat before discovering its “horrific truth”.
“I realized that the Kim family that I had wanted to serve were not my heroes, but dictators denying countless people’s freedom just to build their own power,” said Gumhyok Kim, civil society representative, who spoke “on behalf of millions of North Koreans who are denied humankind’s most basic freedoms”.
While studying abroad in Beijing, he said, a group of students from his country decided to share this newfound knowledge about his homeland and were persuaded that “if everyone knew the truth, North Korea would have to change”. However, in 2011, the group was discovered by his country’s authorities, forcing him to flee to the Republic of Korea. “The painful fact that I was the only one to survive and reach freedom torments me to this day,” he said.
“If they developed the economy instead of missiles, there would be no need for any North Koreans to starve to death,” he observed, pointing out that “if North Korea were a normal State, it would contribute to world peace rather than threatening it”. He then appealed to the international community: “Please stand on the side of the North Korean people, not the dictatorship”.
Also briefing the Council was Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who welcomed the Council’s attention to the precarious human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the interconnections between human rights, development, and peace and security. “It is not possible to divorce the state of human rights in the DPRK from considerations around peace and security in the [Korean] Peninsula,” he said, citing the increasing militarization of that country.
Underscoring the tragic issue of enforced disappearance both inside the country and of citizens of other countries, notably the Republic of Korea and Japan, perpetrated over the past 70 years, he said the full truth about the fate of these people, estimated to be over 100,000, remains unknown. “I again call on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations to return these individuals to their long-suffering families or reveal their fate and return remains to loved ones,” he said.
For her part, Elizabeth Salmón, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, highlighted the introduction of new laws that have death penalty provisions for minor crimes, such as “speaking or writing in the style of the so-called ‘puppet State’,” a reference to the Republic of Korea.
“We need to act,” she underscored, noting that the unwillingness or inability of the country to fulfil its duty to protect its people’s human rights must trigger the obligation of other States to act. “The lack of respect for the rule of law in the country has persisted for too long,” she said, urging the Council to discuss expedient accountability measures, including referring the situation to the International Criminal Court.
At the outset of the meeting, the representatives of China and the Russian Federation opposed discussing human rights in the Council, calling for a vote to block its proceeding. However, their motion was defeated by most members.
Following the remarks by the three briefers, Council members exchanged views on how human rights violations in that country threaten international peace and security. Many expressed grave concerns about Pyongyang’s pursuit of its programmes to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles at the cost of ordinary people’s basic human rights.
“North Korea is like a two-headed chariot driven by nuclear weapons and human rights violations,” observed the representative of the Republic of Korea, Council President for the month, who spoke in his national capacity. “If human rights violations stop, nuclear weapons development will also stop”. He went on to point out that “a bizarre family cult dynasty” has always feared what could happen if its brainwashed people learned the truth about the outside world, citing severe punishment for merely watching South Korean dramas or listening to K-pop. Now, even speaking Korean with a Seoul accent or using Seoul-style vocabulary has become a “counter-revolutionary crime”, he added.
“The intertwining of human rights violations with international peace and security cannot be more obvious in the case of North Korea,” said Japan’s delegate, highlighting abductions, including of Japanese citizens, who have remained trapped for almost half a century. For her part, the speaker for the United States warned the efforts by both the Russian Federation and China to block today’s meeting embolden Pyongyang’s actions. “It is our responsibility, as members of this Council, as human beings, to speak out against a regime that chooses weapons over the welfare of its own people,” she declared.
“With every ballistic missile test conducted, the regime actively chooses to deprive its people of essential nutrition,” lamented the representative of Malta, noting that over 40 per cent of the population is food insecure.
However, “today’s meeting is a blatant step in the reverse direction,” said the representative of the Russian Federation, drawing attention that the United States — located thousands of miles from the Korean shores on the other side of the Pacific Ocean — continues, alongside Japan and the Republic of Korea, to step up military activity in the region. Warning that the proximity of Washington D.C.’s nuclear capabilities to the Korean borders brings the situation to “a dangerous threshold of open armed conflict with unpredictable consequences”, he insisted that this matter should be the topic of discussion at the Council.
Similarly, the representative of China said that pushing the Council to instrumentalize the human rights situation will only fuel animosities, not help peace and stability. If the United States and other countries care about the welfare of the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, they must resume dialogue, quit provocative behaviors, adjust the sanctions measures, especially in the humanitarian and livelihood areas, and lift all unilateral coercive measures, he said.
In that regard, the representative of Mozambique underscored: “Genuine engagement to reduce tensions, build trust and ultimately achieve complete denuclearization of the Peninsula is essential”.
Procedural Vote
The representative of China opposed holding today’s briefing, calling for a vote on the provisional agenda. “The Security Council is not the proper place to address human rights issues,” he said, insisting that the current human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does not constitute a threat to international peace and security.
Agreeing, the representative of the Russian Federation also requested a vote on holding the meeting requested by the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and the Republic of Korea, saying that “a narrow group of States” is attempting to exploit the Council as a tool to advance their own geopolitical agenda. This matter does not fall within the Council’s mandate, he stressed.
The representative of the United States spoke on behalf of Japan, the Republic of Korea and her country to assert that Pyongyang’s human rights abuses and violations are inextricably linked with the regime’s threats to international peace and security. “What is shameful here is the obvious efforts by China and Russia to protect the DPRK,” she said, saying that such protection ensures that the regime can expend inordinate public resources on its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles programme without public objection. As found in a landmark report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry a decade ago, the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had committed systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations. The report also recommended that the Council receive regular briefings on that country’s human rights abuses and violations as a threat to international peace and security, she said.
The representative of the United Kingdom said that her country supports holding the meeting as the Council has a mandate to discuss “any issues” relating to international peace and security. Pyongyang’s oppressive system enables it to divert resources away from its people to fund its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. She pointed out that the Russian Federation has often called meetings on human-rights-related issues in Ukraine.
In response, the representative of the Russian Federation said that in April 2024 when his delegation called for holding an open briefing to discuss the consequences of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s aggression against Yugoslavia in 1998, Moscow’s position was that “any member of the Council has an opportunity to raise any question that relates to international peace and security”.
The Council then adopted the provisional agenda by a vote of 12 in favour to 2 against (China, Russian Federation), with 1 abstention (Mozambique).
Briefings
VOLKER TÜRK, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the Security Council’s attention to the precarious human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the interconnections between human rights, development, and peace and security. The protracted nature of this situation is trapping people in unmitigated suffering and is a factor behind instability with wider regional ramifications. “It is not possible to divorce the state of human rights in the DPRK from considerations around peace and security in the [Korean] Peninsula,” he said, citing the increasing militarization of that country. Describing the human rights situation, particularly the deepening repression of the right to freedom of movement, he said that “leaving your own country is not a crime — on the contrary, it is a human right, recognized by international law”. No departures means no reunification with families abroad. Pyongyang should re-open possibilities for families to connect and ultimately be together.
Repression of freedom of expression has also worsened under three laws, he said, noting that one deals with the consumption of foreign media, another criminalizes the use of language not in line with the Pyongyang dialect, and a third forces youth to conform to a socialist lifestyle. “Put simply, people in the DPRK are at risk of death for merely watching or sharing a foreign television series,” he said, urging the country to repeal these oppressive laws and institute a moratorium on the use of the death penalty throughout its legal system with a view to its abolition. Furthermore, the socioeconomic conditions of life there have become unbearably harsh, including the lack of access to food. Reports indicate almost half the population has become food insecure in recent years, with child wasting on the rise in some provinces.
Forced labour also persists inside the country, and the Government exerts a high level of control on workers sent abroad, he reported. Interviewed by his Office, they described a life of terrible hardship — physically dangerous work, a scarcity of food and health care, extreme levels of surveillance, physical violence and the confiscation of up to 90 per cent of their wages by the State. Moreover, arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment and a lack of fair trials are ongoing tactics of repression. He then went on to draw attention to the tragic issue of enforced disappearance both inside the country and of citizens of other countries, notably the Republic of Korea and Japan, perpetrated over the past 70 years. The full truth about the fate of these people, estimated to be over 100,000, remains unknown. “I again call on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations to return these individuals to their long-suffering families or reveal their fate and return remains to loved ones,” he said.
He insisted that accountability for these longstanding, serious and widespread violations must be a priority. Ten years ago, the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea called on the Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. Endorsing that call, he urged States to explore avenues for judicial accountability that may be at their disposal, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction. He said that he will provide, at the request of the Human Rights Council, a comprehensive report in 2025 on that country’s human rights situation over the past decade. “All paths out of this start with making a U-turn from the dead end of self-imposed isolation: opening the country, re-engaging with the international community, enabling people-to-people contact, embracing international cooperation, focusing on the well-being of all people,” he said, urging Pyongyang to “flip the orthodoxies and overcome its isolationist mindset, which only breeds deeper and deeper distrust, setting off a never-ending spiral of groupthink at the expense of a more prosperous and secure future for its people”.
ELIZABETH SALMÓN, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said the increasing security tensions on the Korean Peninsula are driven by that Government’s September 2023 decision to include “the policy of nuclear weapons development to a higher level” in its Constitution as well as its recent announcement that it would no longer pursue reunification with the Republic of Korea. The continued prioritization of military, nuclear and missile programmes disproportionately affects those most vulnerable, such as children and women, she said, noting that “resources available for realizing human rights are reduced, exploitation of labor to finance militarization becomes rampant, and as a result, the protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights is often overlooked”. Noting that the Government has further tightened restrictions on fundamental freedoms, she said: “We are facing probably the worst humanitarian crisis since the disastrous famine in the late 1990s”.
Further, she added, the Government has repressed small-scale subsistence commercial activities as “anti-social behaviour” and reintroduced a monopoly on the sale of rice and corn, depriving many people of their livelihoods. Many vulnerable people, including the elderly, have died due to a combination of malnutrition, disease, and lack of access to health care, she said, noting that humanitarian assistance has been very limited. She also highlighted the introduction of new laws that have provisions of death penalty for minor crimes, such as “speaking or writing in the style of the so-called ‘puppet state’”, a reference to the Republic of Korea. Since the border closures in 2020, only a handful have managed to leave, she said, adding: “People are isolated and silenced inside the country without access to information from outside.” Escapees who have lived outside of the country for a long time continue to face the risk of forcible repatriation, as well as torture and other human rights violations upon their return.
“We need to act,” she underscored, noting that the unwillingness or inability of the country to fulfil its duty to protect its people’s human rights must trigger the obligation of other States to act. Accountability goes beyond establishing criminal responsibility and encompasses prosecutions, reparations and institutional reforms. Also encouraging Member States to make the most of the forthcoming universal periodic review of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the Human Rights Council in November, she said the return of the UN country team should also be prioritized. The prolonged isolation of the country profoundly affects the prospects for victims to reunite with their loved ones, as well as the return of victims of international abductions and their family’s right to know their fate, she said. “The lack of respect for the rule of law in the country has persisted for too long,” she concluded, adding that the Council should discuss expedient accountability measures, including referring the situation to the International Criminal Court.
GUMHYOK KIM, civil society representative, speaking “on behalf of millions of North Koreans who are denied humankind’s most basic freedoms”, described his journey towards realizing the “horrific truth” about his country — political prison camps, deaths from starvation, public executions and people risking their lives to escape. “I realized that the Kim family that I had wanted to serve were not my heroes, but dictators denying countless people’s freedom just to build their own power,” he said. Together with his North Korean friends studying in Beijing, he decided to share this newfound knowledge as “if everyone knew the truth, North Korea would have to change”. However, in 2011, their group was discovered by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s authorities. He had to flee from Beijing to South Korea to avoid arrest. “I survived and found freedom,” he said. But that freedom had come “at a great cost” — he has not had contact with his family for 12 years. “The painful fact that I was the only one to survive and reach freedom torments me to this day,” he said.
His people — subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, public executions, and forced labour — face repression of their freedoms that breaks down basic human dignity, he said. Pyongyang invests most of its efforts into developing its military power, ignoring the State’s responsibility to allow its people to live full lives. “If they developed the economy instead of missiles, there would be no need for any North Koreans to starve to death,” he observed. Attributing his country’s security concerns to self-isolation and extreme ideology, he pointed out that “if North Korea were a normal State, it would contribute to world peace rather than threatening it”. Accordingly, he underscored that the system’s very nature must be transformed.
“Please stand on the side of the North Korean people, not the dictatorship,” he declared, noting the need “to give the same level of importance to North Korean people’s rights as we do to nuclear weapons and missiles”. Calling for accountability, he underscored that rule through coercion and control cannot last long, support built through indoctrination and misinformation is temporary, and tyranny breeds further tyranny. “If North Koreans can eat enough and have the freedom to travel the world, they will respect your leadership without being forced to [do so] — that is true leadership,” he stated.
Against this backdrop, he urged the international community to increase accountability efforts to pressure Pyongyang to refrain from committing human rights violations and make them aware of the long-term consequences of abusing their power. Further, States should invest in North Korean people’s right to information by increasing the flow of news, media and new technology into the country. A changed information environment is crucial in transforming the country into a more normal society. Noting that “the night is darkest and coldest just before dawn,” he said, “no matter how dark and frightening the night, the sun will rise — the future of North Korea is in your hands”.
Statements
The representative of the United States said that she has made it a priority during her tenure to elevate the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s human rights abuses to the top of the Council agenda. Protecting human rights is not a distraction from safeguarding peace and security. The two are inextricably linked. “Nowhere is this nexus more salient than in the DPRK, where substantial evidence and documentation have directly linked the regime’s mistreatment of citizens with its investment in unlawful WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and ballistic missile programmes,” she said. The Russian Federation’s veto of the 1718 Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts’ mandate renewal has deprived the international community of critical, unbiased reporting on the regime’s flagrant violations of Council resolutions. The efforts by both the Russian Federation and China to block this meeting today embolden Pyongyang’s actions. “It is our responsibility, as members of this Council, as human beings, to speak out against a regime that chooses weapons over the welfare of its own people.”
The representative of Japan said the persistence of human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is inextricably linked with the country’s pursuit of its unlawful weapons programmes. Citing the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023” report, he noted that nearly half of its population — a staggering 12 million people — is under-nourished. Condemning the unlawful transfer of arms from that country to the Russian Federation for use in attacking Ukraine, he said: “We continue to closely monitor what North Korea gains in return.” “The intertwining of human rights violations with international peace and security cannot be more obvious in the case of North Korea,” he said, highlighting abductions, including of Japanese citizens, who have remained trapped for almost half a century. “Japan is not alone in this suffering,” he pointed out, noting that nationals from the Republic of Korea, China and France, among others, have also endured this agony. Strongly urging the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to address such violations, he said the Council must continue to meet under this agenda item.
The representative of the United Kingdom said that — while “perpetrators remain largely unaccountable, and the North Korean people continue to suffer” — Pyongyang continues to divert resources away from the people to fund its illegal weapons programme. These illegal weapons are financed through forced labour, with workers sent overseas, often into modern slavery, she said, urging the country to cease these practices without delay. “We are witnessing forced repatriations, State-sponsored abductions and enforced disappearances,” she stressed, also recognizing the suffering of other nationals abducted by that country. Calling for their return, she urged all Member States to respect the principle of non-refoulement and not forcibly return those who have escaped the country. Pyongyang must prioritize the rights of its citizens over the illegal development of its weapons programmes and ease border restrictions on the international community, she emphasized.
The representative of Malta said that Pyongyang’s many human rights violations have serious implications for international peace and security. Through forced labour and the diversion of resources, the regime has rapidly advanced its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programme. “With every ballistic missile test conducted, the regime actively chooses to deprive its people of essential nutrition,” she lamented, noting that over 40 per cent of the population is food insecure. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programme and allow the re-entry of international humanitarian staff into the country, including the UN Resident Coordinator, she said, stressing: “Only then will they be able to carry out a rapid needs assessment and provide the people of North Korea with much-needed humanitarian assistance”.
The representative of Switzerland, recalling the 2014 Commission of Inquiry finding that serious and systematic violations of human rights and possible crimes against humanity were being committed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that 10 years later, the list of violations remains long. “Strict control of the media and the enactment of repressive laws severely limit the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, regardless of borders,” she said, while exploitation of the workforce to finance militarization is endemic. Stressing that “this militarization weighs heavily on the population”, she urged Pyongyang to put an immediate end to all violations and respect the principle of non-refoulement. Welcoming the first signs of the country opening its borders, she underscored that this needs to go hand in hand with access to humanitarian aid for the population.
The representative of Mozambique underscored that — in navigating the challenges on the Korean Peninsula — a holistic approach that considers humanitarian issues, domestic politics and international relations is crucial. Concurrently, he recognized that promoting sustainable peace requires addressing the underlying political, security and humanitarian dimensions holistically through diplomacy and dialogue. “Genuine engagement to reduce tensions, build trust and ultimately achieve complete denuclearization of the Peninsula is essential,” he stated. He further emphasized that the Council’s efforts must focus on promoting dialogue and building trust between all parties. Restarting meaningful negotiations is crucial to making progress on denuclearization and improving the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, he added.
The representative of Sierra Leone recalled that the UN Commission of Inquiry in its report 10 years ago stated that “systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, its institutions and officials” and that such violations “constitute crimes against humanity”. “It is difficult to fathom […] not much has reported changed to this present day,” he lamented, urging the Council to give serious consideration to this assessment and take active steps to implement the recommendations contained in the Commission of Inquiry’s report and the Special Rapporteur’s report. In that regard, he commended the efforts of the Human Rights Council to strengthen the capacity of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Seoul to carry out field assessments.
The representative of Algeria said his delegation “decided finally to vote for the holding of this meeting”, because the issue is on the Council’s agenda, and any Council member has a right to request a meeting on it. However, the discussion should be guided by the title of the meeting, he stressed, reaffirming commitment to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality among Member States, and non-interference in their internal affairs. Underscoring the importance of promoting and protecting “all human rights anytime everywhere,” he said Member States have established dedicated and mandated bodies based on “well-crafted division of labor”. Stressing that the Human Rights Council remains the appropriate body for human rights discussions, he cautioned that the politicization of human rights in the Council aggravates conflicts and exacerbates mistrust. Acknowledging the tense atmosphere on the Peninsula, he stressed that constructive dialogue and international cooperation are the essential means to overcome those challenges.
The representative of Slovenia condemned the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, some of which may constitute crimes against humanity, according to the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights report. Sadly, he said, “the overall human rights situation has not changed since publication of that report [10 years ago]” — on the contrary, it had further deteriorated. These violations are directly connected with the country’s increasing militarization, not only due to increased military spending. Pyongyang is relying on the exploitation of workers and the widespread use of forced labour, including the forced use of schoolchildren, for the advancement of their unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities. He voiced particular concern over the situation of women and girls, who are exposed to torture and ill-treatment, forced labour, widespread discrimination, as well as sexual and gender-based violence.
The representative of Guyana said that given the centrality of human rights to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, her country appreciates holding this meeting to closely examine the observed linkages and their impact on the Council’s work and views “promoting and protecting basic human rights as fundamental to attaining sustainable peace, security, and development”. She urged Pyongyang to enhance its commitment to promoting civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and pursue a peaceful path to development that fully aligns with its obligations as a UN Member State. Emphasizing the importance of ensuring the equal participation of women in political and public decision-making, she welcomed indications that there has been some increase in the representation of women in government bodies in that country.
The representative of France said the Council must continue to remain seized of the human rights violations in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, adding that its Government is thumbing its nose at the Council while provoking its neighbours. Widespread detentions, separated families, arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, including in Republic of Korea and Japan; the Pyongyang regime refuses to cooperate with United Nations bodies. Almost 20 per cent of North Korean children suffer from stunted growth, she said, urging the regime to facilitate return of foreign humanitarian personnel and respect the principle of non-refoulment for citizens who have fled.
The representative of Ecuador expressed deep concern over the violations and abuses committed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which have been documented by impartial reports of the Secretary-General and specialized UN entities. For its part, the Council has adopted a series of measures and urged the country to respect and ensure its people’s well-being and dignity. Unfortunately, “far from implementing the Council’s mandatory provisions”, Pyongyang has intensified its weapons programmes to the detriment of the well-being of its citizens, who suffer from great unmet needs and lack the most fundamental freedoms. He urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respect the human rights of its people and end the diversion of resources for the illegal development of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that the Council, which has no mandate to discuss human rights, “is squandering resources on a discussion of groundless and blatantly politicized matters”. Most gravely impacted by this is the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The United States and its allies in the region are ready to consider any other question than those which genuinely require resolutions to normalize the situation. The United States — located thousands of miles from the Korean shores on the other side of the Pacific Ocean — continues, alongside Japan and the Republic of Korea, to step up military activity in the region, he said, adding that this and countless other hostile acts have provoked responses by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to enhance its national defense capabilities. The proximity of Washington D.C.’s nuclear capabilities to that country’s borders brings the situation to “a dangerous threshold of open armed conflict with unpredictable consequences”, he said, asserting that this matter should be the topic of discussion at the Council. “Today’s meeting is a blatant step in the reverse direction,” he warned.
The representative of China, regretting the convening of this meeting, noted the complex dynamics on the Peninsula where antagonisms have become acute. “The priority is for all parties to stay calm,” he stressed, adding that they must refrain from provoking each other. Calling on the Council to play a constructive role to help ease the situation and promote dialogue, he said that pushing the Council to instrumentalize the human rights situation will only fuel animosities and will not help peace and stability. If the United States and other countries care about the welfare of the people of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, they must resume dialogue, quit provocative behaviors, adjust the sanctions measures, especially in the humanitarian and livelihood areas, and lift all unilateral coercive measures, he said.
The representative of the Republic of Korea, Council President for the month, spoke in his national capacity to underline that “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s obsessive pursuit of nuclear weapons and its Orwellian control of its people have one single root cause: the survival of its peculiar regime, regardless of the cost”. Pyongyang needs an external threat to blame for its self-perpetuating hardships and to build its illicit nuclear capability. While brutally oppressing its people to ensure absolute loyalty and obedience, the regime can present its nuclear weapons as a source of national pride and a symbol of leadership legitimacy. However, the country’s sense of insecurity does not come from any real external threat or so-called “legitimate security concerns,” but, instead, the innate flaw of the regime itself: “a bizarre family cult dynasty”.
The country’s leaders have always feared what could happen if its brainwashed people learned the truth about the outside world, he observed, noting that recently, they have become even more aggressive in their nuclear policy and even more extreme in their war against outside information and culture. “Zero freedom of expression and severe punishment for merely watching South Korean dramas or listening to K-pop, are already well-known,” he added. Now, even speaking Korean with a Seoul accent or using Seoul-style vocabulary has become a “counter-revolutionary crime”, he said, noting that the regime wants to keep the people in the dark. “However, the dark cannot destroy the light; it only further defines it,” he stressed. The country’s per capita income barely exceeds $1,500, categorizing it as one of the world’s most under-developed countries, with nearly half its population undernourished.
Nonetheless, the regime continues to squander its material and human resources by indulging in opulent nuclear weapons development, training cyber hackers and purchasing luxuries for the ruling elite. “The total cost of the DPRK’s recent missile development and tests over the past year was more than the cost of a year’s worth of food for its entire population,” he said. The regime also capitalizes on forced labour — including the mass mobilization of children — to generate revenue for its illicit nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. “And the worst forms of forced labour and human rights violations are found in its political prisons and detention facilities,” he added. Pyongyang’s horrendous crimes are not limited to its citizens — the issues of abductees, detainees and prisoners of war, including against the citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan, have been long unresolved. “North Korea is like a two-headed chariot driven by nuclear weapons and human rights violations. If human rights violations stop, nuclear weapons development will also stop,” he stated.
The representative of the United States, re-taking the floor to respond to the remarks made by the Russian Federation and China, said that long-standing military exercises conducted by Washington, D.C., and their allies are “defensive in nature and pose no threat to the regime”. Also, his country is open to “an unconditional dialogue” with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; however, “each time we offer our open hand, it is met with a clenched fist”. On sanctions relief, he emphasized that Pyongyang should not be rewarded for violating multiple Council resolutions as it would send an alarming message to the proliferators.
Responding to that, the representative of China said: “We have heard this rhetoric many times but what is it doing actually?” The United States is applying pressure consistently on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including through today’s meeting. It has conducted constant high-intensity military exercises and is sending strategic weapons to the Peninsula, while taking unilateral actions against the country and aggravating its humanitarian situations. “We hope that the US will stop saying something and start doing something different,” he said.