VOA常速英语2008年-South Korean Envoy Signals Shift in North Korea

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
04 March 2008

South Korea President Lee Myung-bak's administration is calling for improvement in North Korea's human rights situation and pledging cooperation with the United Nations on the issue.  The move is a departure from previous administrations, which kept silent on North Korean human rights abuses to avoid irritating Pyongyang.  VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports.

As he has promised to do, newly inaugurated South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is raising the profile the South's policy toward North Korean human rights abuses.

Park In-kook, Mr. Lee's deputy foreign minister for international organizations and global issues, spoke¹ to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Monday in Geneva.   He says it is time for North Korea - formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - to make some changes.

"The Republic of Korea, underscoring human rights as a universal value, calls upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)  to take appropriate measures to address the international community's concern that the human rights situation in the DPRK has not improved," Park said.

Independent research indicates North Korea has one of the worst human rights records in the world.  Scholars say hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are in labor² camps - often because they or a family member committed a minor³ political offense⁴.  Cases of public executions and forced abortions⁵ are also reported to be frequent.

Park's U.N. comments are a sharp departure from the positions of two previous South Korean administrations, which pursued a policy of near-total public silence on North Korea's human rights situation. 

That approach -  part of what is known as the "sunshine" or engagement policy - views the North-South relationship as unique and requiring sensitive handling.  Supporters of the policy say peacefully engaging the North is more effective, in the long run, than confrontation⁶ in bringing about change.

Under the policy, South Korea has abstained⁷ on several United Nations votes calling on North Korea to improve its human rights practices.  Deputy Foreign Minister Park indicated in his Geneva speech Seoul may be willing to support such measures in the future.

"The council should be equipped with appropriate mechanisms⁸ to effectively respond to persistent¹⁰ and gross violations¹¹ of human rights," he said.  "Country-specific resolutions are the mechanism⁹ designed to best serve this function, by urging the U.N. system and the country concerned to take appropriate actions."

Human rights organizations are praising the apparent policy shift.  They say Park's reference to human rights as a universal value is a hopeful sign that South Korea's human rights policies can be formed, independently of other political concerns.   Kay Seok represents Human Rights Watch here in Seoul.

"If I had read this statement without knowing it was from the South Korean government, and if I had read it two weeks ago, I would have thought it was from a human rights organization," Kay said.

President Lee has said South Korea's Unification Ministry¹², Seoul's main policy body on North Korea, will soon have a special office dedicated¹³ to scrutinizing¹⁴ the North's human rights practices. 

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

4 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

5 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

6 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

7 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

10 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

11 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

12 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

13 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

14 scrutinizing   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His grandfather's stern eyes were scrutinizing him, and Chueh-hui felt his face reddening. 祖父的严厉的眼光射在他的脸上。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• The machine hushed, extraction and injection nozzles poised, scrutinizing its targets. 机器“嘘”地一声静了下来，输入输出管道各就各位，检查着它的目标。 来自互联网