A U.N. children's rights panel in Geneva called on the Japanese government Friday to eliminate discrimination against ethnic Korean and other minority youths residing in the country.

The U.N. Committee on Rights of the Child said Japan should "undertake all necessary proactive measures to combat societal discrimination and ensure access to basic services" for Korean students and children of other minority groups.

The panel said the committee pointed out the Japanese government has yet to recognize a high school affiliated with the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan as an official educational institution.

The panel said the lack of recognition deprives the school's students of the opportunity to take a state-run university entrance exam.

According to the committee, Tokyo grants the Korean school less state subsidies than other Japanese schools.

Koreans in Japan are widely known to face discrimination in employment, marriage and other aspects of daily life. There have also been reports of bullying against Korean students in Japanese schools.

The U.N. panel made a similar demand in 1998, but Japan has yet to comply.