UN meets on North Korean human rights; first since 2017

The United Nations Security Council met to discuss concerns over human rights violations for the first time in five years on Thursday. The council discussed accusations of the country's political and economic repression under the dictator Kim Jong Un. UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Volker Türk said North Korea has perpetuated decades of human rights violations through its obsession with militarization. Türk shared reports of North Korea using forced labor and withholding resources from citizens.

What did the UN decide to do? The United Nations decided to not take action against North Korea for now. However, 52 countries signed a statement directly accusing North Korea of “acts of cruelty and repression,” which is made worse by “unlawful…ballistic missile programs.” South Korean intelligence said North Korea may resume ballistic weapons testing in response to the UN meeting, and Joe Biden's Friday meeting with Japanese and South Korean leaders at Camp David. 

Dig deeper: Read Angela Lu Fulton’s report on disintegrating human rights in North Korea.