Seoul: Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday praised South Korea for its co-sponsorship of this year's U.N. resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korea. Ban made these remarks during his keynote speech at an international conference on North Korean human rights held in Seoul. This follows the adoption of a resolution by the U.N. General Assembly's Third Committee in New York last week against North Korea's human rights abuses.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 61 countries co-sponsored the annually adopted resolution, including South Korea under the liberal Lee government. The current administration has been making efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, marking a change from the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration, which did not support the resolution from 2019 to 2021. The resolution is set to be reviewed at the upcoming General Assembly plenary session next month for final adoption.

Ban remarked that the action is significant and represents the new Korean government's acknowledgment that North Korean human rights issues are among universal values. He highlighted the inconsistency in South Korea's approach to North Korean human rights issues, which seems to fluctuate with changes in government between the conservative and progressive blocs. This inconsistency presents obstacles to addressing the issue effectively.

Ban also pointed out that political deadlock between the two major parties has hindered the launch of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation. This organization, intended to promote research and activities on North Korean human rights, was envisioned under the 2016 North Korea human rights law but remains unlaunched. He emphasized that North Korea's human rights situation continues to be grim for its citizens while the country's spending grows. Ban urged the international community not to overlook these pressing issues.