U.S. pledges to work with Security Council to refer N. Korea to ICC

By Chang Jae-soon

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States will work with the U.N. Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its human rights violations, the State Department spokeswoman said Thursday.

Jen Psaki also rejected as "unproductive" North Korea's threat that there would be "unpredictable consequences" if the European Union-proposed resolution is adopted. Pyongyang's foreign ministry issued the warning, claiming the U.S. is behind efforts to get the resolution adopted.

Referring the North to the ICC was one of the recommendations that the U.N. Commission of Inquiry made in a report released in February after a year-long investigation. The report also said that the ICC should handle North Korea's "crimes against humanity."

"That recommendation was included in the Commission of Inquiry's final report," Psaki said at a regular briefing. "As you also know, we're not a party to the ICC and we typically don't make specific recommendations but we do support the recommendations included in the report, and we'll work with the Security Council on that."

She said the North "continues to have one of the worst human rights records in the world."

The chances of North Korea actually being referred to the ICC are not high because U.N. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding and moreover, the chances of the proposed resolution passing through the Security Council are considered even slimmer because China is sure to veto it.

Still, North Korea has expressed strong anger about the move.

"If the EU adopts an anti-DPRK 'human rights resolution' harsher than the previous one, dancing to the U.S. tune, an opportunity of engaging the DPRK over the human rights issue will be missed for good and this will entail unpredictable consequences," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said.

Psaki dismissed the North's statement as unproductive.

"As we've long said, that type of rhetoric and threats is unproductive and does nothing to help North Korea take steps to show the international community they want to abide by their obligations," she said.

In New York, North Korean diplomats have also been scrambling to tone down the EU-proposed resolution, offering to invite the special U.N. human rights investigator to visit the country in exchange for the envisioned resolution dropping any mention of referring the issue to the ICC.

They have also stepped up PR activities, including providing a rare briefing on the country's human rights situation for U.N. diplomats, attending a private seminar to make the country's case and speaking more frequently to reporters.

North Korea has long been labeled as one of the worst human rights violators in the world. The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information.

But Pyongyang has bristled at any talk of its human rights conditions, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime. Last month, the North released its own human rights report, claiming the country has the world's most advantageous human rights system and policies.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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