In November 1995 this report was raised by Amnesty International at meetings with South Korean Government officials who said that they would respond to the concerns raised. At the time of writing, no official response had been received. Since the publication of that report, Amnesty International has continued to document human rights violations in these areas of concern, some of which are described in this document. These recent examples reinforce Amnesty Internationals earlier recommendations that the National Security Law should be amended and that better safeguards should be introduced to protect detainees from torture and ill-treatment. They also highlight the need for an effective and independent machinery to investigate all reports of human rights violations.
All governments have a responsibility to protect and promote human rights.
The South Korean Government has recognized this responsibility through the ratification of major international human rights covenants. Amnesty International believes, however, that the South Korean Government should ensure that it respects the terms of the international standards it has ratified. Through this document, Amnesty International renews its appeal to the South Korean Government to make human rights protection a priority by initiating early reform in law and practice so as to prevent further human rights violations. In practice it has been used frequently to imprison people for the non-violent exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association. The NSL has been used in contravention of international human rights standards on freedom of expression and association.