United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has expressed deep concern over the estimated 20,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran conflict while calling for continued engagement on North Korea's human rights situation during his visit to Seoul.
In an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency conducted in Seoul on Wednesday, Turk said the plight of seafarers trapped in the strategically vital waterway should take precedence over geopolitical interests. "It should almost be ... that plight should trump any other interests, because people are suffering," he said, citing figures from the International Maritime Organization. He stressed that attacks against civilian maritime infrastructure are prohibited under international law, describing any such incidents as clear violations.
Turk noted that North Korea's human rights conditions remain "extremely, extremely dire," with some areas worsening over the past decade. He pointed to "cracks of light" such as the country's engagement with U.N. treaty bodies and welcomed the upcoming visit of Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women's FC to Suwon on May 20 for an Asian Football Confederation match. "Human rights and engagement are one, and they are not something different," he said.
The U.N. rights chief met with South Korean officials including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. He also urged South Korea to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law to protect minorities, migrants and the LGBTQ community. Turk arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for the first official visit by a U.N. high commissioner for human rights since 2015.
