Unification minister Kwon Young-se met with Elizabeth Salmón, the visiting United Nations special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights, to discuss her mandate and Seoul's push on the matter.

During the talks on Friday, Kwon said peace and improved cross-border relations are vital to improve all those living on the Korean Peninsula.

The minister said the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will place as much priority on improving human rights in North Korea as it does on denuclearization and resuming inter-Korean exchanges.

Calling for accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses, Kwon expressed regret for the lukewarm approach by the former Moon Jae-in administration toward the issue regarding the North, noting that the previous government had taken a back seat on relevant UN resolutions since 2019.

The minister also pledged to swiftly establish a foundation on the North's human rights, some six years after a pertinent legislation came into effect in the country.

Salmón, in response, said human rights are essential to sustainable peace and that she believes South Korea and the UN share the goal of improving the North's human rights.