A summary of a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by UN special rapporteur for North Korean human rights Elizabeth Salmón on Wednesday revealed the difficulty of obtaining information on the human rights situation in North Korea last year, due to the decrease in number of defectors.

The decrease in the number of defectors is attributed to tighter border control by the North.

Salmón also noted that the information delivered by the North Korean government through its media was focused on security-related issues, diverting the international community's attention to areas other than human rights.

She stressed that the regime is tightening its restrictions on freedom of expression and other basic rights, with newly enacted and revised laws, such as the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act.

The UN special rapporteur said that North Korea itself has an obligation to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity, however, with the regime unwilling to take action, the international community should strengthen its involvement in North Korean human rights issues and take concrete measures.

[Photo : YONHAP News]