Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday that the government's decision to co-sponsor the UN Human Rights Council resolution on North Korea "does not affect the government's policy of peaceful coexistence."
"The Ministry of Unification has maintained a consistent position since last year, and the decision to participate as a co-sponsoring country was made through coordination among government ministries," Chung told reporters at the Government Complex Seoul.
He characterized the decision as "a compromise between the position of respecting the authority of the United Nations and the position of maximally respecting the other party's sovereignty issues."
The North Korea human rights resolution, drafted by the European Union and Australia, is set to be adopted at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council on March 30 (Geneva local time).
Chung had previously stated on March 26 that "the human rights issue is what North Korea views as a representative hostile policy, and there is no reason for us to push ahead with it at such a cost," expressing his preference for not joining as a co-sponsoring country.
However, the government finalized its decision to participate on March 28, taking into account the need for international cooperation on the human rights of North Korean citizens, according to sources.