The assembly is expected to put the anti-terror bill to a vote later Wednesday.
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Among the 236 lawmakers in attendance, 212 voted for the bill while 24 abstained. It becomes law when it is endorsed by the Cabinet Council, considered a formality.
(,., 3.1.) After taking a stern stance on North Korea following its fourth nuclear test and long-range missile launch, President Park left the door open for dialogue – saying it’s up to Pyongyang now, but that its pursuit of nuclear weapons will only bring about an end to the regime.
United Nations human rights expert on North Korea, Marzuki Darusman, said in a report last month that he wanted supreme leader Kim Jong-un to know he and other top North Korean officials could be held accountable if they are found responsible for crimes against humanity committed under their leadership.
But Seoul’s action would be in line with the global community, given the UN General Assembly’s repeated consensus on referring North Korea to the worldwide Criminal Court.
North Korea’s state media has warned that enactment of the law would result in “miserable ruin”.
Politicians in South Korea have set a new record for a filibuster – an attempt to time out the passing of new legislation with verbose speeches – in its determination to oppose a new anti-terrorism bill which they believe threatens personal privacy for the country’s citizens.
But the main opposition party eventually agreed on the bill’s passage amid deepening worldwide criticism of North Korea’s nuclear test and rocket launch.
Opposition parties had resisted giving more power to the NIS due to its history of political meddling and human rights abuses Despite a filibuster by opposition parties that lasted for nine days, the government and the ruling Saenuri Party (NFP) refused to budge an inch. Some critics say the foundation may assist civic groups that send leaflets or make radio broadcasts to North Korea to provide information to people about their authoritarian homeland.
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South Korea’s parliament on Wednesday passed long-delayed legislation addressing the human rights situation in North Korea – a move likely to anger Pyongyang with tensions already running high on the divided Korean peninsula.
