| South Korea is reversing three years of looking | | | | Korea. A draft text of the resolution calls on |
| the other way on North Korean human rights | | | | Pyongyang to halt abuses, and lists torture, |
| abuses, saying it will back a United Nations | | | | arbitrary imprisonment and the use of forced |
| resolution that calls on Pyongyang in strong terms | | | | labor along with many other suspected human |
| to improve its human rights record. The change | | | | rights violations. |
| of policy comes after North Korea flouted | | | | The draft resolution describes the North's |
| warnings from Seoul and other governments not | | | | restriction of basic freedoms as "severe and |
| to conduct nuclear and missile tests - and as a | | | | all-pervasive." |
| South Korean prepares to assume the U.N.'s top | | | | Unlike previous resolutions, this measure would |
| job. | | | | require the U.N. Secretary-General to personally |
| Song Min-soon, South Korea's incoming foreign | | | | submit a report on North Korea's human rights |
| minister, told lawmakers Thursday that North | | | | situation to the General Assembly. |
| Korea's recent provocations influenced Seoul's | | | | Ban Ki-moon, the former South Korean foreign |
| decision to back the upcoming United Nations | | | | minister, is due to assume the secretary-general's |
| resolution. | | | | post later this year, and he would be responsible |
| Song says South Korean authorities considered | | | | for delivering the report. |
| the North's missile tests in July and nuclear | | | | Ban recently urged his home country to take |
| weapons test in October in making their | | | | what he called a more "positive" approach toward |
| judgment. | | | | the North Korea human rights issue. |
| Seoul has abstained from three previous U.N. | | | | Kay Seok is a researcher for the U.S.-based rights |
| resolutions on North Korea's human rights record, | | | | group Human Rights Watch. She welcomes South |
| citing the South's special relationship with | | | | Korea's decision to support the resolution, and the |
| Pyongyang. Since 2000, the South has embraced | | | | influence Ban Ki-moon apparently had on that |
| a policy of non-confrontational engagement with | | | | decision. |
| the North, even though the two remain technically | | | | She says once Seoul adds its voice to |
| at war. | | | | international concerns about human rights in the |
| Like the last two resolutions on the subject, this | | | | North, it will not be able to return to silence in the |
| week's statement is based on reporting by a | | | | future - because the international community will |
| special U.N. rapporteur on human rights in North | | | | expect more. |