Seoul, Aug 28 (IANS): South Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Wednesday expressed concerns over a new set of laws recently issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan and called on authorities to respect human rights.

Published by the Taliban's justice ministry last week, the 35-article law has sparked international criticism for restricting women's rights due to clauses that require women to cover their faces and bodies outside of their homes, and ban them from speaking in public, Yonhap news agency reported.

The law also includes rules on men's attire, and forbids homosexuality and playing music in public.

"We are profoundly concerned and disheartened by Afghanistan's so-called 'morality' law, which starkly defies global efforts for meaningful engagement with the country," Cho wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Women's rights and human dignity are at the heart of a nation's growth. We urge the Taliban to heed global concern, and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms."

Taliban authorities have informally introduced restrictions, such as those on women's education, since taking power in August 2021.