S Korea to carry out 1st in-depth inquiry into forced labour in North Korea

South Korea plans to carry out its first in-depth inquiry into forced labour practices in North Korea through interviews with defectors who have arrived in South Korea over the past five years, sources said on Sunday.

North Korean Human Rights Records Centre will conduct the interviews through the end of the year to learn details of the forced labour practices taking place at North Korea's detention facilities, schools and various social organisations, according to the sources.

The inquiry by the centre affiliated with the Unification Ministry will look into changes in forced labour practices before and after the launch of the Kim Jong-un regime and the relevant laws and systems of forced labour. Kim took over North Korea in 2011 after the sudden death of his father and long-time leader Kim Jong-il.

The results will not be disclosed to the public and will only be used by the government to draw up policies on North Korean human rights, Yonhap news agency reported.

Last year, the Unification Ministry conducted an in-depth inquiry into women's rights and labour rights in North Korea.

In 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry issued a report after a year-long probe that said North Korean leaders are responsible for "widespread, systematic and gross" violations of human rights.

--IANS

int/khz/