[The Epoch Times, October 15, 2022](Comprehensive report by Xu Yiyang, reporter from the Epoch Times Special Department) South Korea recently lost the election for the United Nations Human Rights Council, a result that shocked South Korea. The representative office of South Korea to the United Nations revealed to South Korean media that losing the election was completely unexpected.
On October 11, local time, South Korea won 123 votes in the United Nations Human Rights Council election at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has a total of 47 seats, and about one-third of the seats are re-elected every year, and new members are elected according to the number of votes received. A total of 8 Asia-Pacific countries participated in the election, and the top four countries with the most votes won the seats.
Bangladesh topped the list with 160 votes, followed by Maldives (154 votes), Vietnam (145 votes), Kyrgyzstan (126 votes) and South Korea fifth with 123 votes. The term of the winning country will run from 2023 to 2025.
South Korea served as a member of the UN Human Rights Council from 2006 to 2008, 2008 to 2011, 2013 to 2015, 2016 to 2018, and 2020 to 2022.
South Korea is the ninth-ranked country in the world in the proportion of the United Nations’ regular budget from 2022 to 2024, and this election result came as a shock to South Korea.
South Korean media said that although the Human Rights Council is not a legally binding body, with the loss of its seat on the Human Rights Council, South Korea has lost an important opportunity to speak out on international human rights issues. Even in discussions and voting on the Korean peninsula, such as the North Korean human rights resolution, South Korea will be in a situation where it cannot participate. South Korean media described South Korea’s defeat as a “diplomatic tragedy”.
The South Korean representative to the United Nations told the South Korean media “Chosun Ilbo” that losing the election was completely unexpected. Before the election, more than 140 countries expressed support for South Korea, both verbally and in writing, but after the results were announced, there were less than a dozen votes, the representative ministry said. Since it was a secret vote, it was impossible to say which countries did not vote for South Korea, and it will take some time for the representative office to understand the situation.
South Korean media JoongAng Ilbo said in a report on October 13 that South Korean foreign ministry officials said in a meeting with reporters on October 11 that South Korea participated in 14 international agencies’ election campaigns this year, and the number was too large. the greatest impact. The official also said that some countries believe that South Korea has too many major institutions to enter as a member of the council, and this psychology has also caused a certain impact.
South Korean conservatives: Moon Jae-in government ignores North Korean human rights issues
Ahead of the vote, South Korean conservatives have raised concerns about South Korea’s re-election amid talks with North Korea’s Kim regime under former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, as well as a move to address North Korea’s human rights issues. negative attitude.
Joo Ho-young, an in-house representative of South Korea’s ruling National Power Party, wrote on Facebook: “Failure is already expected.”
He said, “(Under the Moon Jae-in administration) South Korea has not participated in the joint proposal of a UN resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights crimes since 2019. freedom of speech.”
Joo Ho-young also said that South Korea “succumbed” to North Korea and that the Moon Jae-in government “give up the Human Rights and Freedom Alliance in order to shake hands with North Korea.”
The Chosun Ilbo reported on October 14 that there were remarks in the South Korean diplomatic community that during the five years of the Moon Jae-in administration, South Korea lost its leadership in the United Nations Human Rights Council, or was questioned many times on human rights-related issues. , leading to the deterioration of international public opinion. Because the current elections are based on the human rights-related initiatives of various countries over the past few years.
The report said that from 2019 to April 2022, the Moon Jae-in government did not co-sponsor the North Korean human rights resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights crimes for four consecutive years in order to advance the “Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula” and not stimulate North Korea. Although he participated in the negotiation for the adoption of the resolution, the move was criticized as an attempt to avoid friction with North Korea, and was actually silent on North Korean human rights issues.
In September 2021, the South Korean government pushed forward the “Media Silence Act” to pursue erroneous media reports and make claims. The UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur has sent a rare letter to the South Korean government warning of possible human rights abuses due to “restrictions on freedom of expression”.
On March 30, 2021, the “Law on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations” (also known as the “Prohibition of Distributing Anti-DPRK Leaflets”) issued by the South Korean government came into effect. The UN Human Rights Office and North Korea’s special rapporteur on human rights, among others, expressed concern that the decree “will restrict the freedom of expression of human rights activists” and sent a letter asking the South Korean government for an official response.
The JoongAng Daily also stated that South Korea has a view that it should reflect on the negative human rights policies of the Moon Jae-in government. In addition, due to concerns about the relationship between South Korea and China, the South Korean government did not express a special position on the CCP’s suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and human rights in Xinjiang; nor did it directly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the massacre of civilians in Ukraine.
Korean media asks to find out who is responsible for losing the election
South Korea’s “Dong-A Ilbo” issued an article on October 14 saying that it is undeniable that South Korea has negatively treated North Korea’s human rights issues in the past, which has weakened the status of the candidate country.
The article said that the result of this election will inevitably have an impact on the promotion of “value diplomacy” by the Yoon Suk-yeol government, which is guided by freedom and human rights. “Under the new Cold War situation, opposition to the division of the international situation, and the opposition and restraint of the human rights policy centered on developed countries by third world countries are also likely to intensify. Now is not the time for the old and new powers to start a war of ‘blame’ offense and defense.”
The article concludes that the South Korean government should thoroughly investigate the process and process of why South Korea, which ranks ninth in the world in terms of contribution to the United Nations’ contribution, got this result, and identify the responsibilities.
The article believes that in order for South Korea to play the role of a global central country in the international community in the future, this is a necessary review.
Editor in charge: Lian Shuhua