A United Nations review of South Korea's protection of civil liberties has raised concerns about the death penalty and a delay in the enactment of an anti-discrimination law.

This came during the UN Human Rights Committee's regular review of the country’s adherence to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Geneva on Thursday.

The committee inquired to the South Korean delegation about its repeated recommendation for abolishment of the death penalty, to which Seoul's top envoy stressed the need to carefully consider its criminological function and alternative punishment.

He added that crimes carrying the death penalty as statutory punishment are very limited and the penalty is ordered only when the nature of the offense is most grievous.

When asked about the delay in an anti-discrimination legislation since 2007, the delegation said that four bills are pending in the National Assembly that diverge over exemplary damages and criminal punishment that require a rational opinion during discussion.

The committee also questioned the delegation about Seoul's measures to assist victims of last year's Itaewon crowd crush disaster, to which it said most of the facts in the case have been revealed in investigations, with support for the victims under way.