S. Korea mulling over skipping annual report on N. Korean human rights

South Korea is considering skipping its annual report on human rights violations in North Korea.

If one is not released, it will be the first time since 2018.

A Unification Ministry official said on Tuesday that it has been difficult to obtain new testimonies, as fewer than ten people defected directly from the North last year.

Though difficulty in collecting firsthand testimonies is cited as a reason, the ongoing review appears to be part of the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

During his confirmation hearing last month, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said it is not appropriate to use North Korean human rights as a means of criticizing the regime.