(2nd LD) Seoul hails U.N. resolution on NK human rights

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday welcomed the adoption of a U.N. resolution on North Korea's dismal human rights conditions, calling for the North to take concrete action to improve its situation.

A U.N. General Assembly committee on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for the referral of North Korea's human rights violations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a 111-19 vote. Fifty-five countries abstained.

The move came after the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) published a report in February that accused Pyongyang of "systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights." The COI recommended that the Security Council refer Pyongyang's "crimes against humanity" to the ICC.

Seoul's foreign ministry hailed the passage of the resolution, saying that the move reflects how seriously the international community regards North Korea's human rights abuses.

"The adoption of the resolution reflects the international community's concerns and willingness that the recommendations by the COI should be thoroughly implemented to improve the dismal situation in North Korea," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "We expect North Korea to take concrete actions to improve its human rights situation by accepting the recommendations."

   South Korea's unification ministry handling inter-Korean issues said that the government plans to actively cooperate with the international community for the enhancement of the human rights situation in the North.

"Seoul's stance is that the human rights issues should be dealt with in terms of the universal values of mankind," unification ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol said at a press briefing. "The Korean government will aggressively cooperate with the global community for the improvement of the North's human rights conditions."

   The resolution, drafted by the European Union and co-sponsored by a record 60 nations, is expected to be put to vote at the plenary session of the General Assembly early next month.

North Korea has rejected criticism of its human rights situation, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime. In September, the North released its own human rights report, claiming the country has the world's most advantageous human rights system and policies.

Meanwhile, South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party called for early parliamentary passage of a bill on North Korea's human rights situation that has been pending for almost 10 years.

South Korea put the bill, which calls for efforts to enhance the human rights conditions in the North and to set principles for humanitarian support as well as create funds to promote the North's rights issue, into motion in August 2005.

The bill has been pending in parliament since then, apparently out of concerns of hampering inter-Korean relations.

In a press briefing, Saenuri spokesman Park Dae-chul called for the opposition party to cooperate with efforts to pass the bill within this year.

"We welcome the passage of the U.N. resolution on the North's human rights," Park said. "Now is the time for the National Assembly to respond to calls by the international community by passing the bill on North Korea's human rights."

   The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) urged the Seoul government to seek dialogue with Pyongyang as it sees easing tension in inter-Korean relations as key to improving the North's human rights situation.

"We call for North Korea to make efforts to improve its human rights conditions by listening to calls from the international community," NPAD spokeswoman Han Jeoung-ae said. "It is critical to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula for the improvement of human rights problems as both human rights and peace are equally important."

   sooyeon@yna.co.kr

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