FM highlights N. Korean rights violations in talks with U.S. special envoy

SEOUL, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Thursday met with the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights in Seoul on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of a landmark U.N. report on the North's rights abuses. In his meeting with Ambassador Julie Turner, Cho voiced concerns over the serious rights violations of the North despite a decade having passed since the release of the report, the foreign ministry said. The two sides agreed on the need to step up efforts to enhance the North Korean human rights situation and expressed hope that it will improve, backed by an unprecedented level of Seoul-Washington ties and as South Korea, the United States and Japan currently all serve as members of the U.N. Security Council. In the meeting, Cho also said South Korea is planning to reach out to the Global South for support on the issue and urged the U.S.' cooperation. Turner is visiting South Korea and Japan from Monday through Feb. 22. Her visit came on the 10th anniversary of the release of the 2014 U.N. Comm ission of Inquiry report on the North's human rights violations. Source: Yonhap News Agency