Today on The Korea Times Podcast: North Korea appears on the U.N. Security Council’s agenda and hackers penetrate a nuclear reactor. Plus host Steve Miller discusses fall-out from the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party and answers questions if could KEPCO reduce electricity rates this winter?
UN Security Council adopts NK human rights as agenda item
The United Nations Security Council adopted North Korea's human rights record as an official agenda item for the first time in New York on Monday, a highly symbolic move designed to increase pressure on Pyongyang to improve the treatment of its own people.
The issue was adopted in an 11-2 vote with two abstentions among the 15 council members. China and Russia, as expected, with whom the DPRK has friendlier relations, voted against adopting the issue as an official agenda item.
It was the first time that North Korea's human rights situation has been put on the Security Council's agenda. It was also only the third time that the human rights situation of a country has become an agenda item of the council after that of Zimbabwe in 2005 and Myanmar in 2006.
A government team of investigators said they’ve requested help the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation in locating a person who disclosed the blueprints of two Korean nuclear reactors and other critical operational information.
The request came after the team confirmed that the person used IP addresses in multiple locations including South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
A member of the team told reporters, "We are not sure whether the person himself hacked the website of the reactor operator, but we believe he is very skillful.”
The Constitutional Court's recent ruling ordering the dissolution of a leftist political party has again highlighted the weighty significance of the judicial entity because of the nationwide social impact the decision has made.
Commentators blame politicians for giving the top court too much power and influence by too often letting it rule on controversial issues instead of resolving them through debate and dialog.
Rep. Park Beom-kye of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy told reporters,
"The court's influence has grown constantly since it has made some major decisions regarding political issues."
When issuing the ruling this past Friday, the judicial body's president Park Han-chul said the UPP organized activities with the concealed objective of creating a communist country like North Korea. Lee Seok-ki was convicted in February on charges he tried to initiate a rebellion, but the judicial process of his case has yet to be finished. The Supreme Court will issue a final ruling in January.
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) share prices had a roller coaster ride last week after President Park Geun-hye said electricity rates and other public utility costs should come down to reflect falling oil prices.
KEPCO shares suffered steep falls throughout the week, hit by concerns that the electricity rate would fall following Park's comments. It managed to recoup part of its price drop on Friday on expectations that any cuts into electricity costs would not be significant.
Analysts said the price cut, if any, will not take place immediately because it takes time to look into various factors before carrying out a reduction into the utility rate.
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