UN committee passes resolution condemning North Korean human rights abuses for 19th year in a row

A United Nations committee has passed a resolution condemning North Korean human rights abuses for the 19th year in a row.

The Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Wednesday calling on member nations not to forcibly repatriate political refugees to countries with human rights concerns. 

The resolution also encourages the U.N. Security Council to consider referring North Korean human rights abuses to the International Criminal Court. 

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The resolution condemns "in the strongest terms the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" perpetrated by North Korea.

North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song reacted harshly to the U.N. committee's decision, characterizing it as a piece of anti-North Korean propaganda.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) categorically denied the draft resolution on the human rights situation in the DPRK submitted by the EU ... as an anti-DPRK political plot," said Kim, according to Yonhap News Agency.

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Kim called the resolution a "fraudulent document consistent with falsehood, fabrication and plot."

This is the 19th year in a row that such a resolution has been passed by U.N. countries, bringing into question the efficacy of such motions.

Regardless, the resolution was well-received by the South Korean delegation to the U.N.

"Our government welcomes the adoption of the resolution by consensus at the Third Committee of the 78th U.N. General Assembly, with 62 countries, including South Korea, participating as co-sponsors," South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said.

South Korea last month said it expressed its concerns to the People's Republic of China after assessing that the communist nation recently returned a "large number" of North Koreans, including escapees, back to their homeland.

"It appears to be true that a large number of North Koreans were repatriated to North Korea from China’s three northeastern provinces," "It appears to be true that a large number of North Koreans were repatriated to North Korea from China’s three northeastern provinces," Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said. 

He added, "[Our] government’s position is that there should be no circumstances in which North Koreans living abroad would be forcibly repatriated back home against their will."