President Lee Jae Myung, center, gestures as he attends a summit with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap
Seoul's push to seek peaceful coexistence with North Korea is a path that can ultimately and effectively improve human rights conditions in the North, the unification ministry said Thursday.
"The Lee Jae Myung government believes fostering inter-Korean peace and expanding dialogue, exchange and cooperation are more effective in bringing about real improvements in North Korean human rights," a ministry official told reporters.
The remarks came a day after Lee and European Union (EU) leaders met in Brussels and issued a joint statement urging Pyongyang to cooperate with the international community on human rights.
"We recognize that a substantial improvement in the DPRK human rights situation is essential and call on the DPRK to allow access to international and humanitarian organizations," the joint statement said, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
