Korea Elected as UN Human Rights Council Member for the 6th Time... Term Until 2027

On the 9th (local time), South Korea was elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year term. The UN Human Rights Council plays a role in promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the international community, addressing serious and systematic human rights violations, and making recommendations.

The UN General Assembly elected South Korea as a council member for the 2025-2027 term during the UN Human Rights Council election held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA. With this election, South Korea will simultaneously serve as a member of the three major UN bodies in 2025: the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Human Rights Council.

In this year’s election, six countries including South Korea, Cyprus, the Marshall Islands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand competed for five vacant seats allocated to the Asia-Pacific region. Except for Saudi Arabia, five countries were elected as council members. South Korea secured the support of 161 out of 190 voting countries, ranking 4th among the six candidates and winning a seat on the council.

Previously, South Korea was elected as a council member five times: 2006-2008, 2008-2011, 2013-2015, 2016-2018, and 2020-2022. In the 2022 election for four Asia-Pacific seats, South Korea attempted re-election but was defeated, finishing in 5th place.

The UN Human Rights Council consists of 47 member states: 13 from Asia-Pacific, 13 from Africa, 8 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 7 from Western Europe, and 6 from Eastern Europe. These council members are replaced by one-third each year through a secret ballot among the 193 UN member states. The term is three years, and re-election is allowed up to two consecutive terms. The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 when the UN Commission on Human Rights under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was elevated to a subsidiary body under the UN General Assembly.