Seoul Needs to Turn Focus on Human Rights in N.Korea

Vitit Muntarbhorn, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea, in a report issued to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday said "harrowing and horrific" rights abuses are being committed in North Korea. He said the situation got worse during his tenure. "It is time for the UN Security Council to step up to protect North Koreans," he added.

Vitit said the International Criminal Court, which has the mandate to deal with human rights abuses, has so far made no attempt to improve the situation in North Korea. His tenure ends in June.

The conservative NGO Freedom House in a report in January assessing abuses in 194 countries rated North Korea "worst" offender. The U.S. State Department said in its annual human rights report last week that "summary executions, torture, forced abortions and infanticide" continue in the Stalinist country.

Since 2004, the UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions accusing North Korea of human rights abuses and has called on the communist country to improve the situation. The UN Human Rights Council appointed a special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea in 2004 and has issued reports every year. In 2004, the U.S. government passed a North Korean human rights resolution and even appointed a special commissioner to look at abuses, while Japan passed a similar law in 2006. But despite all that attention, human rights abuses there are worsening.

As Vitit points out, the international community must now go beyond resolutions and reports and mobilize powerful international organizations, such as the ICC, to deliver more effective pressure on North Korea. If the UN Security Council approves it, the ICC can have judiciary powers over even non-member countries such as North Korea. Judge Kwon O-gon, who presides over the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, said at a recent forum summary executions, torture and murder in North Korea are matters that face punitive measures by the ICC. The international community needs to cooperate in establishing a committee within the UN to investigate human rights abuses in North Korea.

Countries around the world except South Korea are increasing their focus of attention on human rights abuses in North Korea. But the National Assembly has been unable to pass even a resolution condemning such abuses. This is tantamount to betraying the North Korean people and is worthy of international criticism. South Korea needs to look into establishing an investigative and archival body that keeps track of human rights abuses in North Korea, just like West Germany did before its unification with East Germany.