By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea's new law aimed at documenting human rights abuses in North Korea went into effect, Sunday — the latest in a series of efforts to put pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime.
Analysts say North Korea may react furiously because the body responsible will collect, record and preserve details of crimes against humanity committed by Kim and his aides.
"The law may not have practical effects on North Korea in the short term and we have to admit that," said Kim Jin-moo, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Defense Analysis. "But Pyongyang will eventually realize that this law can pose a threat to the regime as it will reveal every detail of Kim's human rights abuses, raise global awareness about these crimes and humiliate the despot."
Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University, agreed.
"Revealing human rights violations in North Korea will be one of the most effective elements to press the country because it deals with issues that the country views as serious offenses against its leader."
He cited that the dictatorial regime was infuriated when the United States put Kim Jong-un on a sanctions list in July for human rights abuses.
"I believe the new human rights act will be critical in bringing momentum in the fight to improve Pyongyang's dire human rights record," Park said.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University, pointed out that the new law is in line with President Park Geun-hye's move to urge ordinary North Koreans to join inter-Korean unification efforts while putting pressure on the ruling class there.
"It seems the government will capitalize on the human rights act to speed up its strategy of separating North Koreans from their leadership," he said.
Under the law, a research center will be started under the Ministry of Unification to study human rights conditions based on North Korean defectors' testimonies.
The research center will hand over its findings every three months to the Ministry of Justice, which will keep them in an archive.
It is speculated that the archive will be used to refer Kim Jong-un and his aides for trial if the two Koreas are united.
The government will establish a foundation as well to fund non-governmental organizations and other advocate groups for North Korean human rights.
The human rights act also approves setting up a 10-member advisory committee concerning Pyongyang's human rights record under the unification ministry.
Meanwhile, analysts said the act should be supplemented with measures that can help stop torture, public executions and other forms of human rights abuses in Pyongyang.
"The new law may help in putting pressure on North Korea but it doesn't mean it will give up human rights abuses considering that the country's leader is using a reign of terror to tighten his grip on power," Kim Jin-moo said.
He warned that Pyongyang may make military provocations in protest of the act.
South Korea's new law aimed at documenting human rights abuses in North Korea went into effect, Sunday — the latest in a series of efforts to put pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime.
Analysts say North Korea may react furiously because the body responsible will collect, record and preserve details of crimes against humanity committed by Kim and his aides.
"The law may not have practical effects on North Korea in the short term and we have to admit that," said Kim Jin-moo, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Defense Analysis. "But Pyongyang will eventually realize that this law can pose a threat to the regime as it will reveal every detail of Kim's human rights abuses, raise global awareness about these crimes and humiliate the despot."
Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University, agreed.
"Revealing human rights violations in North Korea will be one of the most effective elements to press the country because it deals with issues that the country views as serious offenses against its leader."
He cited that the dictatorial regime was infuriated when the United States put Kim Jong-un on a sanctions list in July for human rights abuses.
"I believe the new human rights act will be critical in bringing momentum in the fight to improve Pyongyang's dire human rights record," Park said.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University, pointed out that the new law is in line with President Park Geun-hye's move to urge ordinary North Koreans to join inter-Korean unification efforts while putting pressure on the ruling class there.
"It seems the government will capitalize on the human rights act to speed up its strategy of separating North Koreans from their leadership," he said.
Under the law, a research center will be started under the Ministry of Unification to study human rights conditions based on North Korean defectors' testimonies.
The research center will hand over its findings every three months to the Ministry of Justice, which will keep them in an archive.
It is speculated that the archive will be used to refer Kim Jong-un and his aides for trial if the two Koreas are united.
The government will establish a foundation as well to fund non-governmental organizations and other advocate groups for North Korean human rights.
The human rights act also approves setting up a 10-member advisory committee concerning Pyongyang's human rights record under the unification ministry.
Meanwhile, analysts said the act should be supplemented with measures that can help stop torture, public executions and other forms of human rights abuses in Pyongyang.
"The new law may help in putting pressure on North Korea but it doesn't mean it will give up human rights abuses considering that the country's leader is using a reign of terror to tighten his grip on power," Kim Jin-moo said.
He warned that Pyongyang may make military provocations in protest of the act.
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