As the international community tries to come down on Pyongyang for suppressing the rights of its people, South Korea’s efforts are being criticized for being almost nonexistent.
On the recommendation of a United Nations agency earlier this year, South Korea announced it would open a field office in Seoul to probe information on North Korean human rights.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government initially agreed to provide office space in its Global Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, but ended up abruptly backpedaling on the offer.
In May, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) selected South Korea as the location to establish a new field office to investigate North Korean human rights abuses.
This decision followed a yearlong investigation of the UN Commission of Inquiry, which recommended that the UN set up an office to monitor the human rights situation in North Korea.
The South Korean government initially proposed Seoul and Songdo in Incheon, where several international organizations have headquarters or offices, as possible locations.
Between Seoul and Songdo, the two cities initially propsed by the South Korean government, the OHCHR favored Seoul because of its symbolic value and ideal location for contacting defectors. OHCHR personnel likewise completed an inspection and were preparing to open a temporary office next month.
While the central government and the Seoul city government are passing the buck between each other, there is no law addressing the issue due to conflicts between the ruling conservatives and the left-leaning opposition.
Six bills regarding a North Korean human rights act are still sitting in National Assembly committees without being deliberated.
A member of a local civic group for North Korean defectors’ rights said, “While the world is heated about North Korean human rights issues, South Korea, the closest neighbor, is cool toward it.”
SOURCE:JOONGANG DAILY
