Lee's peace policy can improve N. Korea's human rights conditions: unification ministry

SEOUL, June 11 (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.

The call for Pyongyang to open its doors has prompted questions about whether Seoul was taking a harder line toward the North.

The ministry official said it was not, and that the statement was fully consistent with Seoul's policy of peaceful coexistence, dialogue and cooperation.

President Lee Jae Myung (C) poses for a photo with Ursula von der Leyen (R), president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, during their summit in Brussels on June 10, 2026. (Yonhap)