Two of the most symbolic figures in the international community's campaign against North Korea's human rights abuse will travel to Seoul next week amid efforts to bring the issue to the International Criminal Court (ICC), diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea, plans to visit Seoul from Monday through Friday, according to the sources.
Amb. Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, will make a separate three-day trip starting Tuesday, they added.
Seoul's foreign ministry later confirmed their upcoming trips.
"As far as we know, the two plan to visit South Korea to attend the 4th Chaillot Human Rights Forum to be hosted by the Korea Institute for National Unification," the ministry's spokesman Noh Kwang-il said at a press briefing.
During his stay, King is scheduled to meet with government officials to discuss the North Korean human rights issue, Noh said.
He said he has no information on whether Darusman and King will visit North Korea as well or meet with the communist nation's officials in a third country.
Their visits to Korea come at a time when the importance of international cooperation is growing over the chronic problem.
In October, the European Union and Japan circulated a draft resolution that would call on the U.N. to recommend the referral of North Korea to the ICC for crimes against humanity.
The Third Committee, in charge of human rights affairs, will soon vote on the resolution, followed by a vote at the General Assembly.
North Korea has strongly protested against the push for the resolution. (Yonhap)
