The U.S. State Department has vowed to continue cooperating with international organizations to resolve issues regarding North Korean escapees.

A department official said the United States will continue to work with international organizations, including the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, to find ways to protect North Koreans who fled to China.

The official made the remark as the South Korean government has unveiled plans to raise the issue of China’s forced repatriation of North Korean escapees in a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva next week.

The official added that the U.S. is seriously concerned about the human rights situation in the North, issues regarding North Korean escapees and their plights to seek asylum.