Ministry of Unification at government complex in central Seoul / Newsis

The South Korea government on Wednesday released an English version of its report on North Korea's human rights situation, which was made public last month for the first time.

The English edition is currently available on the unification ministry's website (www.unikorea.go.kr) and will be distributed to overseas diplomatic missions, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and research institutes, the ministry said.

The ministry has been compiling an annual report on North Korea's human rights situation since 2017 under the North Korean Human Rights Act. However, the report had not been made public in the past, apparently to avoid provoking Pyongyang.

On March 30, the ministry released the report publicly for the first time, in line with President Yoon Suk Yeol's hard-line policy toward the North.

The 450-page report is based on the testimonies of more than 500 North Korean defectors and highlights widespread rights abuses by state authorities, including murders, torture and public executions

"We hope the English version of the 2023 Report on North Korean Human Rights would increase interest in the human rights of North Koreans abroad, and provide more opportunities for international solidarity and cooperation to discuss North Korean human rights," the ministry said.

The English version includes a glossary of North Korean terms for foreign readers. (Yonhap)