By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
North Korea fired back at South Korea's concerns over the dire human rights conditions in the secretive state, calling them ``impertinent,'' Wednesday.
Choe Myong-nam, councilor at the North's UN mission in Geneva, Switzerland, claimed the remarks made by Shin Kak-soo, the South's 2nd vice foreign minister, Tuesday, clearly violated inter-Korean agreements.
North Korea ``rejects all stereotypical allegations and will continue to reject the mandate of the special rapporteur on the human rights situation,'' he said, ``as it was motivated by purposes other than genuine concern for human rights.''
At the 10th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Shin expressed concern over the rights issue and called on Pyongyang to take necessary measures.
``My government, sharing the serious concerns of the international community regarding the dire human rights conditions in the DPRK, urges that the latter take necessary measures to improve its human rights situation in full compliance with its obligations under international human rights law and relevant treaties to which it is party,'' he said. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the official name of North Korea.
In last year's meeting, Seoul just called on the communist state to take ``proper'' measures, referring to worldwide concern that little improvement in human rights in the North was taking place.
The North Korean envoy claimed making the remarks was a violation of two inter-Korean agreements signed in June 2000 and October 2007.
``These allegations and others could neither be justified nor tolerated, and should be denounced,'' he added.
Choe, instead, blamed the South for failing to halt anti-Pyongyang activities, such as the sending of leaflets by some civic groups criticizing North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and calling for the repatriation of South Korean abductees.
``The South Korean authorities should be held accountable for all issues arising from their anti-DPRK campaigns,'' he said.
The councilor also called for the immediate abolishment of the National Security Law, saying it ``was the cause of the gross and systematic pattern of human rights violations in the country.''
In response to Choe's statement, South Korean Minister of Unification Hyun In-taek said Shin's remarks were made in terms of universal values.
``The government sees the North Korean human rights issue as a universal value. We made the criticism with care, which is completely different from blame or slander,'' he said.