Report on the Publication of the North Korean Human Rights Report: "The Reality of North Korea Must Be Widely Known Domestically and Internationally"
"Revealing North Korea's Human Rights Reality Is Crucial for National Security and a Key Roadmap"
President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed on the 28th to "make it clear that not a single won can be given as long as North Korea continues to pursue nuclear development." After receiving a report on the publication of the North Korean Human Rights Report that day, President Yoon also urged, "All government ministries should take this report's publication as an opportunity to widely inform and educate both domestically and internationally about the reality of human rights in North Korea."
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon presided over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office and said, "The Ministry of Unification should stop providing aid to North Korea from now on," according to a briefing by Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.
In particular, President Yoon mentioned, "Investigating the realities of North Korea's human rights, political, social, and economic situations through various channels and informing both domestic and international audiences is a core roadmap for national security." He elaborated that disclosing the reality of North Korean human rights is also very important for national security because "it shows where the legitimacy of the nation lies." He also said, "At the 'West Sea Defense Day' held at the National Daejeon Cemetery, bereaved families complained, 'Why do we demand an apology from Japan but not from North Korea?' and this perspective should become widespread."
Earlier in his opening remarks, he stated, "Although seven years have passed since the enactment of the North Korean Human Rights Act, the North Korean Human Rights Foundation has yet to be launched, and only now is the North Korean Human Rights Report being published and distributed," adding, "The North Korean Human Rights Act must now be practically implemented." He also instructed all government ministries to take this report's publication as an opportunity to widely inform and educate both domestically and internationally about the reality of human rights in North Korea. President Yoon explained, "The tragic human rights violations of North Korean residents must be fully exposed to the international community," and expressed hope that "the reality of North Korean human rights will be widely disclosed to the international community through the upcoming Democracy Summit starting tomorrow and the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council."
Additionally, President Yoon mentioned strengthening consultations between the ruling party and the government regarding policies. He ordered minimizing disruptions in policy formulation, implementation, and budget management. President Yoon said, "Through consultations between the ruling party and the government, public opinion should be sufficiently reflected from the policy drafting stage," and requested cooperation throughout the entire policy process, including policy discovery, public opinion gathering, and legislation.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
