foreign ministry-NK resolution

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to co-sponsor this year's U.N. General Assembly resolution on North Korean human rights, which calls for an end to human rights violations in the reclusive country while stressing the importance of dialogue with Pyongyang, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The resolution, proposed by the European Union (EU), is currently under review by the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly in New York and is expected to be adopted by the committee around Nov. 18-19.

"As it is crucial to make practical improvements in the human rights of North Korean residents, the government has joined as a co-sponsor of this year's resolution as part of its efforts to continue international cooperation," the ministry said in a press release.

At South Korea's suggestion, the resolution includes language stressing the importance of dialogue and engagement with Pyongyang, including inter-Korean talks, and calls for progress on humanitarian issues involving abductees, detainees, prisoners of war and separated families.

South Korea has now co-sponsored a U.N. General Assembly resolution on North Korean human rights for the fifth consecutive year.

The U.N. General Assembly has adopted resolutions on North Korean human rights annually since 2005, calling for an end to human rights violations and urging Pyongyang to cooperate with international efforts to improve its human rights record.

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