That suggests Seoul voted for the resolution last year to boost Ban’s chances, not because it champions human rights. At least one Foreign Ministry official expects the decision to abstain this year to come back to haunt the country in its foreign policy.

U.S. government officials are also reluctant to tackle North Korean human rights violations as relations with the Stalinist country improve. The U.S. human rights envoy for North Korea, Jay Lefkowitz, has effectively been on holiday since U.S. President George W. Bush chose negotiations with Pyongyang over hardline policies after the North conducted nuclear tests in October last year.

It recently emerged that the U.S. administration has failed to execute a budget of US$24 million set aside for campaigns for the improvement of the North Korean human rights situation under a related law. Christian Whiton, the deputy special envoy for human rights in North Korea, said the budget has not been executed, since the U.S. Congress has yet to approve the spending. But it shows a diminished will in Washington to deal with the issue.

Washington has also reportedly been delaying reviews of a petition for permanent residency by North Korean refugees who settled in the U.S. A diplomatic source in Washington said some North Korean defectors were to receive permanent residency this fall, but this has been delayed. He predicted the issue will be discussed after North Korea disables its nuclear facilities under a series of six-nation denuclearization agreements.

North Korea’s deputy envoy to the U.N. Pak Duck-hoon appeared satisfied with South Korea’s abstention, saying the two Koreas are “brothers.” Japan’s Ambassador to the UN Yukio Dakasu expressed disappointment.

(englishnews@chosun.com )