The government said Monday that linking the improvement of North Korea's human rights record with efforts to advance inter-Korean relations or establish peace on the Korean Peninsula is inappropriate.
 
A Unification Ministry official revealed the stance as rival parties are preparing to pass the human rights bill at a plenary session on Friday.

The official said that endeavors to bring the North’s human rights issues into the spotlight must continue even if pushing forward South-North ties or establishing peace on the peninsula hit a snag.

Although the floor leadership of the two camps tentatively agreed to put the related bill to a vote, the parties are said to be at odds over the basic principles of the bill and over what roles South Korea is to play.
 
The bill seeks to set up an archive center for records related to the North's human rights record, a North Korean human rights foundation as well as an advisory committee on the North’s human rights under the Unification Ministry.