Seoul, March 28 (IANS) South Korea will likely join as a co-sponsor of this year's UN resolution on North Korean human rights, government sources said, amid earlier expectations that Seoul might skip the move in line with its conciliatory gestures toward Pyongyang.

The South Korean government has tentatively decided to participate as a co-sponsor of the resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea to be adopted at a regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council later this month, according to the sources on Friday.

The move marks a shift in tone from a few days ago, when reports indicated Seoul was weighing the option of dropping out of the co-sponsorship this year to align with President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to mend badly frayed ties with the North, reports Yonhap news agency.

Remarks by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young a day earlier had further added weight to the possibility of Seoul opting out of the resolution.

He said there was "no reason" for Seoul to push for co-sponsorship despite Pyongyang's apparent objections.

Insiders say the shift reflects the government's emphasis on recognising the universal value of human rights.

North Korea's persistent hostility against the South, despite continued efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions, also likely played a role in the decision.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un formally labelled South Korea the "most hostile state" in his speech to the newly elected rubber-stamp parliament on Monday, its state media reported.

South Korea was among the 61 co-sponsors for the resolution adopted at the UN General Assembly Third Committee last December.

--IANS

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