President Lee Myung-bak, right, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. Ban Arrived in South Korea, Thursday for a five day visit. / Yonhap |
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged North Korea Friday to address its human rights situation, calling it ``unacceptable.''
``I think that North Korea should also take necessary steps to improve their human rights situation,'' Ban, who is on a visit to his homeland for the first time since taking office at the United Nations 18 months ago, said in a press conference in Seoul.
``There are still many areas where human rights are not properly protected, and even abused,'' said Ban, who served as South Korean foreign minister between 2004 and 2006. ``This is an unacceptable situation.''
He said he is willing to visit North Korea to help multinational efforts to end the communist regime's nuclear ambition. But there has been no concrete plan as of yet to travel to the North, he added.
``I would like to say again that I intend to take appropriate diplomatic measures as U.N. secretary general if necessary, depending on development of the situation,'' said Ban.
North Korea has long been accused of human rights abuses, such as public executions, political prison camps, torture and restricting freedom of expression and religious practice.
In a major change of position, the Lee Myung-bak government voted for a U.N. resolution denouncing alleged human rights abuses in the North earlier this year.
It signaled a tougher policy line on North Korea by the Lee administration than that of the two previous liberal governments, which were often criticized by human rights groups for taking a lukewarm or two-faced approach toward the problem.
From 2003 to 2005, South Korea did not participate in or abstained from U.N. votes on the North's human rights record, fearful of upsetting its northern brethren.
In 2006, following Pyongyang's test-launch of missiles and first-ever nuclear test, the government voted for a U.N. resolution on North Korea's human rights, but it again abstained from a vote under the direction of former President Roh Moo-hyun in November 2007, a month after the second inter-Korean summit, in Pyongyang.
After the joint press conference with Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, the world's top diplomat paid a courtesy call on President Lee at Cheong Wa Dae.
In a speech at the National Assembly earlier in the day, Ban urged South Korea to further increase its overseas assistance and participate in global peacekeeping efforts.
He said South Korea and other industrialized nations in the world should deal with the issue of climate change as the foremost task.
Ban said advanced and developing nations have the ``historical responsibility'' for carbon emissions in the process of their developments.
Climate change will be a key topic at the G-8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, July 7-9. Emission reductions are crucial to avoid the worst effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and increased droughts, according to the U.N. and the International Energy Agency.
G-8 environment ministers pledged to cut emissions by half by 2050 in a joint statement after talks in Kobe, western Japan, on May 26.
``South Korea has remained too focused on domestic affairs when it has the potential and the obligation to increase its role in the international community,'' Ban said in a speech, titled ``Climate Change and Millennium Development Goals,'' at the National Assembly in Seoul. ``This is not a message coming from me. It is a message from the international society and the U.N.''
``I'm sorry to be burdening you with such responsibility, but I cannot help emphasizing that South Korea should play a bigger role in the global society to match its economic and social status on the world stage,'' said Ban.
He reminded people that South Korea had rebuilt itself from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War with assistance from the international society led by the U.N., and achieved remarkable economic development in less than two decades.
South Korea, the world's 13-th largest economy, provided approximately $670 million in aid last year, ranking 19th in terms of international assistance among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It raised its donations to underdeveloped countries by 48 percent last year, but critics say more is needed.
Ban, in particular, asked South Korea to participate in more peacekeeping operations around the world.
``South Korea has one of the most elite armed forces in the world,'' he noted. ``I think South Korean troops can do more for the international community.''
About 400 South Korean forces are taking part in U.N. peacekeeping missions in eight countries, including the 350-strong Dongmyeong Unit stationed in Lebanon. Seoul's troop contribution for U.N. missions remains the 36th largest.
President Lee Myung-bak has pledged that his government will actively participate in U.N. peacekeeping efforts. To that end, the government seeks to revise a law pertaining to the deployment of peacekeeping forces.
Under the current law, the government is required to obtain parliamentary approval whenever it wants to send peacekeeping forces to foreign nations. A revised law will allow, however, the government to get approval from the Assembly for the deployment for the coming year in advance, so that the troops will be swiftly dispatched to nations upon international request.
Ban arrived here Thursday, receiving a hero's welcome. He is scheduled to fly to Japan Monday to attend the G8 Summit.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
