Seoul to co-sponsor UN resolution on North Korea rights

South Korea will co-sponsor an annual United Nations resolution on North Korean human rights, its foreign ministry said late on Saturday, despite some expectations Seoul might refrain from backing it to improve ties with Pyongyang.



North Korea has long been accused by the United Nations and other critics of widespread rights abuses, including running prison camps and severely restricting freedom of expression and access to information, while little is known about its criminal justice system.



Despite repeated overtures by South Korea's dovish President Lee Jae Myung, North Korea has recently and formally labelled Seoul its "most hostile entity" and warned it would respond "mercilessly" to any perceived provocations.



Seoul has decided to "take part as a co-sponsor of the North Korean human rights resolution", the foreign ministry said in a statement.



The decision was "based on the stance of cooperating with the international community to bring about substantive improvements in the human rights of the North Korean people, and following consultations among relevant government agencies", it added.