DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CCPR A/39/40 (1984)

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

364. The Committee considered the initial report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (CCPR/C/22/Add.3 and 5) at its 509^th, 510^th and 516^th meetings, held on 9 and 12 April 1984 (CCPR/C/SR.509, 510 and 516).

365. The report was introduced by the representative of the State party who said that his Government attached great importance to close co-operation between the Committee and the States parties. Although the Korean people were divided into two States, they formed a homogenous nation with a common language and civilization. The people strongly desired to bring about the peaceful reunification of the country. Since the adoption of his country's Constitution in 1948 and after a long history of colonial domination and foreign occupation, his country had made great strides in its political, economic and cultural life.

366. The laws in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were all based on the Juche idea - that man was the master of the world and that things had value only in so far as they served man. All the principles set forth in the Covenant are embodied in the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; the legislation of the country was in full conformity with the Covenant's provisions; and the Covenant has been translated into Korean and published. Korean citizens enjoyed various political rights and freedoms, including the right to elect and to be elected, freedom of speech, press, assembly and association, freedom of religious belief and from anti-religious propaganda and the right to make complaints and to submit petitions.

367. Personal security and the right to life were guaranteed by law. Equality before the law and equal protection under the law were also guaranteed by the Constitution. There was an independent judiciary and all cases were heard in public. The Constitution also guaranteed economic and cultural rights to citizens. Women enjoyed equal social status and equal rights with men and played an important role in all spheres of activity.

368. Members of the Committee, in welcoming the commitment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the Covenant even though, as it was recalled, this State party was not a member of the United Nations, and also welcoming its willingness to co-operate with the Committee as it had demonstrated by supplementing its report, observed that the report was too general and brief, not containing sufficient material to make a genuine dialogue possible; it recounted progress made in the social, labour and health fields but was insufficient to understand the situation with regard to civil and political rights. Members commented favourably on the positive aspects of the report and stressed action taken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea such as the abolition of the death penalty as an ordinary punishment and the considerable progress that had been made in other areas such as the increase in life expectancy attested to the fundamental changes that had taken place. It was asked whether the Democratic People's Republic of Korea subscribed to the principle of the indivisibility of human rights and whether the Government had taken new measures following the entry into force of the Covenant to implement its provisions.

369. Among other general questions asked were how the provisions of the Covenant were being implemented, how the division of Korea affected the enjoyment of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and what had been done to reunite families separated because of that division. Noting that article 10 of the Constitution stated that the country exercised the dictatorship of the proletariat, one member wished to know how that affected life in theory and in practice. Members wanted more information concerning the Juche idea (article 4 of the Constitution) and asked whether it was used as a source of law or as guidance for interpreting the Constitution in matters of human rights. Other fundamental concepts, as the Chongsan-ri spirit and method (article 12) and the Chollima movement (article 13), also needed clarification. It was asked what the role of the masses was in the realization of the principle of democratic centralism (article 9). More information was desired on the everyday, practical application of the principles contained in the Constitution.

370. Turning to the various articles of the Covenant, information was requested regarding article 1, as to whether the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea felt that reunification of the country would be a model of self-determination in the sense of that article, and whether the SWAPO and PLO were represented in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

371. With regard to article 2 of the Covenant, members asked who would receive complaints and petitions from citizens pursuant to article 55 of the Constitution and what action would be taken if such complaints and petitions proved justified. Members inquired about the recourses available to individuals who felt that their civil and political rights had been violated. Could the Covenant be invoked before a court of law in such cases?

372. Members requested additional details, in connection with article 3 of the Covenant, about the equality of men and women and the role of women in public life at all levels and in all sectors.

373. With regard to article 4 of the Covenant it was noted that the reports and the Constitution did not refer to it, but the representative had referred to a state of alert; it was asked whether any provision covered such a situation and what legal provisions had been adopted to govern situations of public emergency, if any.

374. Regarding article 6 of the Covenant, it was noted that the death penalty had been abolished as an ordinary punishment and was reserved only for special crimes. In this connection, additional information was requested about crimes for which the death penalty could be imposed. Were any political crimes punishable by the death penalty, could it be applied to pregnant women, for example, or to women in general? What was the meaning of the phrase "international murder"? A member wished to know whether there was any legal protection of citizens against the excessive use of fire-arms by the police and other authorities.

375. With reference to article 7, it was asked whether torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment was punishable by law and whether compensation could be sought through the courts for such treatment. Clarification was sought as to the punishment of "not more than one year of reformatory labour" for, inter alia, forcing a person to make a statement.

376. Concerning article 8, it was asked at what age children were permitted to work and whether the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea was bound by the various ILO conventions on child labour.

377. Regarding article 9, members asked whether preventive detention existed and, if so, under what circumstances. What was the duration of such detention and what remedies were available to detainees? Clarification was sought of article 64 of the Constitution that "no citizen can be arrested except by law". What was that law and did it respect the principles of the Covenant?

378. In connection with article 10, information was requested about the experience of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in re-educating and reforming criminals. Was it true that extraordinary prisons existed where many persons were being detained?

379. Regarding article 12, members asked which body was competent to issue travel documents and whether such documents were provided as a right or merely at the discretion of the Government. Additional information was also requested as to whether travel was permitted between the two Korean States and more generally about legislation governing the right of citizens to leave the country. In this connection, members recalled the obligation of Governments to allow family members to be reunited and asked what efforts were being made by the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea to restore contact and communication between divided families. If travel restrictions had been enacted, how could they be justified under the terms of the Covenant?

380. Under article 13, it was asked what the situation of repatriated persons was.

381. Regarding article 14, members noted that under the Constitution the country's highest judicial organ, the Central Court, was responsible to the Supreme People's Assembly. They wondered how such constitutional provisions could be reconciled with the requirement for an independent judiciary. It was further noted that article 138 of the Constitution permitted holding trials in camera and it was questioned what specific criteria had to be met to justify such closed hearings. Members also requested information about the Special Courts and about the existence of any special labour, juvenile or family courts.

382. In connection with article 18, members asked what religions were practiced in the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, whether Koreans had free access to houses of worship and whether Koreans continued to attend them.

383. With regard to article 19, members asked whether freedom of speech and opinion was fully protected. They also inquired as to whether the press, radio and television were owned by the Government or could offer opposing views.

384. Concerning article 20, details were requested concerning laws under which propaganda for war was a punishable offence.

385. Questions were also asked concerning the existence and number of political parties and trade unions, and how large a membership they had.

386. With regard to article 23, several members noted with surprise that divorce had almost disappeared in the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea. They asked in this connection whether this phenomenon was largely due to the behaviour of individuals, or whether there were legal norms or other Government interventions which made divorce difficult. In addition, members requested information about the extent of equality of spouses, as well as the position of people living unmarried together, or apart without divorce.

387. Members also raised a number of questions concerning article 25, including the following: were there any restrictions on the formation of political parties; did the voters have a choice of candidates and could anyone present himself for elections?

388. The representative of the State party in his reply to questions raised by members touched on a variety of points, starting with his country's policy concerning Korean reunification. The peaceful reunification of Korea was a matter of restoring the country's sovereignty and realizing the right of self-determination throughout its territory. His country had long favoured the reunification of families and had undertaken a number of initiatives since 1957 to bring this about. However, these efforts have thus far not been successful. In further explanation of the Juche ideology, the representative noted that it consisted of independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in defence.

389. The Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had already expressed active support for the national liberation struggle in South Africa and its firm solidarity with the Namibian people. It also supported the Palestinian people in their pursuit of all their legal and national rights. The Palestine Liberation Organization had established an office in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

390. There could be no conflict between domestic laws and international treaty obligations since the implementation of the latter was a legal duty of the Government. Measures had been adopted to guarantee to all citizens effective remedies for violations of rights set out in both the Covenant and the Constitution. For example, citizens were fully entitled to submit complaints and petitions, and a timely resolution of petitions was guaranteed by law. The organs of State power monitored and ensured the exercise of the constitutional rights of citizens. If anyone was unlawfully arrested or detained the public procurator took steps to secure his immediate release.

391. Specific action has been taken to ensure equal rights for women and to create the necessary conditions for the actual enjoyment of such rights. An important law providing for equality between men and women, promulgated in 1946, accorded to women ample opportunities for participating in the country's political, economic and cultural life.

392. The death penalty was reserved for special offenses such as espionage and premeditated murder. There were no political criminals in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea except spies. The aim of sentencing was to prevent recidivism. Accordingly, convicts sentenced to reformatory labour had accesses to newspapers, could receive and send letters and be visited by relative and friends. Juvenile offenders were not treated as ordinary criminals but were instead rehabilitated through the school, the family and social education. There was no preventive detention and no one could be arrested or detained without the approval of the Prosecutor or a court order.

393. Citizens were guaranteed complete freedom of movement and residence within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and to travel abroad for official or private purposes whenever they wished. Aliens could also enter the country at any time, subject to the relevant legal formalities. Travel into and out of the country was on the rise. The repatriated Koreans - 100,000 from Japan since 1959 - enjoyed the same rights as other citizens.

394. The independence and impartiality of judges was fully guaranteed under the Constitution and any interference in their activities was strictly prohibited. Judges of the Central Court were selected by the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and the judges of other courts by the relevant people's assemblies. Candidates for the bench had to enjoy the confidence of the people and have a knowledge of the law. Court hearings were held in public, trials sometimes at the scene of the crime, with the broad participation of the people. Lawyers enjoyed complete independence in the conduct of their activities and had formed the Korean Democratic Lawyers' Association.

395. All citizens have the right to freedom both of religion and of anti-religious propaganda. There were three religions - Buddhism, Chondoism and Christianity - and the State ensured religious life by law. The religious and non-religious were treated alike. There was no restriction whatsoever on the right of people to seek and impart information and ideas and citizens had freedom of expression in the mass media. Democratic political parties and social organizations enjoyed free activity and there were three political parties in the country: the Worker's Party of Korea which had about 2 million members, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party. No restrictions were placed on the formation of political parties. The trade unions and their General Federation were institutions for the ideological education of their members and mobilized them to carry out the political and economic tasks set by the Party and Government.

396. Particular attention was paid to the protection of children and the minimum working age had been established by the Constitution at 16. Infant mortality was the same in both town and country.

397. All citizens over 17 had the constitutional right to elect and be elected. Further details were given about the electoral process and the character and structure of the State, and class dictatorship, the power and responsibilities of the state organs and the abolition of taxes.

398. After members had thanked the representative and asked some additional questions, in particular how the proceedings of the Committee would be taken into account by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and what publicity would be given to them, the representative invited them to submit any further questions even after the meeting and undertook to convey them to his Government for consideration. In reply to one of the additional questions he said that the media in his country would be able to publicize the Committee's proceedings if they so desired.

CCPR A/56/40 (2001)

86. Democratic People's Republic of Korea

(1) The Committee considered the second periodic report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (CCPR/C/PRK/2000/2) at its 1944th, 1945th and 1946th meetings, held on 19 and 20 July 2001, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 1953rd meeting, held on 26 July 2001.

A. Introduction

(2) The Committee welcomes the submission of the second periodic report, which contains detailed information on domestic legislation in the area of civil and political rights, and the opportunity to resume the dialogue with the State party after an interval of more than 17 years. The Committee welcomes the State party's decision to send a strong delegation from its capital, composed of representatives of different Government authorities, for the examination of the second periodic report, and the readiness expressed by the delegation to continue the dialogue with the Committee after the examination of the report. The Committee is also pleased to note that the delegation of the State party recognized the importance of the Committee's task and intimated that the Committee can expect more prompt reporting in the future. The Committee regrets, however, the considerable delay in submission of the report, which was due in 1987. It regrets the lack of information on the human rights situation in fact, as well as the absence of facts and data as to implementation. As a result, a number of credible and substantiated allegations of violations of Covenant provisions which have been brought to the attention of the Committee could not be addressed effectively, and the Committee found it difficult to determine whether individuals in the State party's territory and subject to its jurisdiction fully and effectively enjoy their fundamental rights under the Covenant.

B. Positive aspects

(3) The Committee appreciates the efforts undertaken by the State party to translate and make available texts of domestic legislation relevant to the examination of the second periodic report, which greatly facilitated the Committee's work.

(4) The Committee welcomes the reduction of the number of criminal offences carrying the death penalty from 33 to 5, as well as the readiness, mentioned in the report and confirmed by the delegation, further to review the issue of capital punishment with a view to its abolition.

(5) The Committee appreciates that the delegation acknowledged the need to improve the condition of human rights in several areas covered by the Covenant, notably the situation of women in the DPRK; in that context, the Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party, in February 2001, of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

(6) The Committee welcomes as a positive sign that exchange visits between families from the State party and the Republic of Korea, however limited, have taken place on three occasions since the Pyongyang Declaration of 15 June 2000.

(7) The Committee also appreciates the discontinuation of administrative internment in the State party.

C. Subjects of concern and recommendations

(8) The Committee remains concerned about constitutional and legislative provisions that seriously endanger the impartiality and independence of the judiciary, notably that the Central Court is accountable to the Supreme People's Assembly under article 162 of the Constitution. Furthermore, article 154 of the Constitution limits the tenure of judges to five years and article 129 of the Criminal Code subjects judges to criminal liability for handing down "unjust judgements". Given the roles assigned to the judiciary under articles 2 and 14, paragraph 1, of the Covenant, these legal provisions have an adverse impact on the protection of human rights guaranteed under the Covenant, and endanger the independence of the judiciary as required by article 14 (1) of the Covenant.

The State party should take appropriate measures to ensure and protect the independence and impartiality of the judiciary at all levels.

(9) The Committee has noted uncertainty about the status of the Covenant in the State party's internal legal framework. It notes that pursuant to article 17 of the Treaty Law of December 1998, the Covenant has the same status as domestic law. However, doubts remain as to whether the Covenant would have primacy over domestic law if the latter is in conflict with Covenant provisions.

The State party is requested to provide information, in its next periodic report to the Committee, about the situation prevailing in the event of a conflict between the Covenant and domestic law, including the Constitution. The Committee wishes to receive from the State party more precise information about the number of cases in which the Covenant was in fact invoked before the domestic courts, and with what result.

(10) The Committee is concerned that, in addition to judicial protection, there is no independent national institution for the promotion and protection of human rights. It considers that article 69 of the Constitution and the Law on Complaint and Petition granting every citizen the right to submit complaints about the encroachment of his or her rights is no substitute for such an independent monitoring body.

The State party should consider the establishment of a national human rights institution (article 2 of the Covenant).

(11) The Committee is further concerned about the limited number of human rights organizations in the DPRK, and the limited access to the State party's territory that is accorded to human rights organizations, as reflected in the small number of international human rights non-governmental organizations that have been granted permission to visit the DPRK over the last decade.

The State party should grant access to its territory to international human rights organizations and other international bodies on a regular basis at their request and ensure accessibility to indispensable information about the promotion and protection of human rights.

(12) Given the State party's obligation, under article 6 of the Covenant, to protect the life of its citizens and to take measures to reduce infant mortality and increase life expectancy, the Committee remains seriously concerned about the lack of measures taken by the State party to deal with the food and nutrition situation in the DPRK and the lack of measures taken to address, in cooperation with the international community, the causes and consequences of the drought and other natural disasters which seriously affected the country's population in the 1990s.

The Committee recalls paragraph 5 of its General Comment No. 6 [16] on article 6 of the Covenant, which recommends that States parties "take all possible measures to reduce infant mortality and increase life expectancy, especially in adopting measures to eliminate malnutrition … ." The State party should provide the Committee with supplementary information on this issue.

(13) The Committee takes note of the delegation's information that the death penalty has rarely been imposed and carried out in the last three years. While the Committee appreciates that the number of offences carrying the death penalty has been reduced to five, it remains seriously concerned by the fact that out of these five offences, as the report states, four are essentially political offences (articles 44, 45, 47 and 52 of the Criminal Code), couched in terms so broad that the imposition of the death penalty may be subject to essentially subjective criteria, and not be confined to "the most serious crimes" only, as required under article 6, paragraph 2, of the Covenant. The Committee is also concerned by acknowledged and reported instances of public executions.

The State party should review and amend the above-mentioned articles of the Criminal Code, to bring them into conformity with the requirements of article 6, paragraph 2, of the Covenant. The State party should refrain from any public executions. It is invited to work towards the declared goal of abolishing capital punishment.

(14) The Committee considers that article 10 of the Criminal Code, under which punishment for an offence not provided for in the Code will be imposed in accordance with those provisions of the Code punishing offences similar in nature and gravity, is incompatible with the concept of "nullum crimen sine lege", enshrined in article 15 of the Covenant.

The State party should repeal article 10 of the Criminal Code.

(15) The Committee is deeply concerned about consistent and substantiated allegations of violations, by law enforcement personnel, of article 7 of the Covenant, to which the delegation has not sufficiently responded. The information given by the delegation about the small number of complaints of ill-treatment in custody or detention (6 complaints between 1998 and 2000) is difficult to accept as a reflection of the actual situation, in the light of the material available to the Committee, which suggests that the number of instances of ill-treatment and torture is significantly higher.

The State party should ensure that all instances of ill-treatment and of torture and other abuses committed by agents of the State are promptly considered and investigated by an independent body. The State party should institute a system of independent oversight of all places of detention and custody with a view to preventing any act of abuse of power by law enforcement personnel.

(16) The Committee takes note of the information provided by the delegation on the conditions of detention in prisons of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Committee nonetheless remains concerned about the many allegations of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and conditions and of inadequate medical care in reform institutions, prisons and prison camps, which appear to be in violation of articles 7 and 10 of the Covenant and of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

The State party should take steps to improve conditions in the facilities referred to above and all other facilities for detention in the DPRK. It must ensure that all persons deprived of their liberty are treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, as required by article 10 of the Covenant. The State party must ensure that sufficient food and appropriate and timely medical care are available to all detainees.

The Committee strongly recommends that the State party allow for independent internal and international inspection of prisons, reform institutions, and other places of detention or imprisonment.

(17) Notwithstanding the explanations given by the delegation, the Committee continues to harbour serious doubts about the compatibility of the provisions of Chapter Two of the Labour Law of the DPRK, especially articles 14 and 18 thereof, with the prohibition of forced labour in article 8, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant.

The State party should amend the above-mentioned provisions of the Labour Law so as to avoid any potential conflict with the provisions of article 8 of the Covenant.

(18) While noting the delegation's explanations about the nature and purpose of pre-trial detention and preliminary investigations tending to prolong the duration of pre-trial detention (see paragraph 65 of the report) , the Committee remains concerned about the compatibility of the State party's pre-trial detention practices and preliminary investigation procedures, with article 9 of the Covenant. The duration of detention before a person is brought before a judge is manifestly incompatible with article 9, paragraph 3, of the Covenant.

The State party's next report should contain statistics on the number of persons held in pre-trial detention and on the duration of and reasons for such detention. The State party must ensure that anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge is brought promptly before a judge. The State party must ensure that all of its practices are consistent with the provisions of article 9 of the Covenant and that detainees have access to counsel and are permitted to contact their families from the moment of apprehension.

(19) The Committee has noted the State party's justification of the "traveller's certificate" which citizens of the DPRK are required to obtain for travel within the DPRK, but considers that such restrictions on domestic travel raise serious questions about their compatibility with article 12, paragraph 1, of the Covenant.

The State party should consider the elimination of the requirement of traveller's certificates.

(20) In the Committee's opinion, the requirement, under the Immigration Law of the DPRK, of administrative permission to travel abroad, and the requirement, for foreigners in the DPRK, to obtain exit visas to leave the country, are incompatible with the provisions of article 12, paragraph 2, of the Covenant.

The State party should eliminate the requirement of administrative permission and exit visa as a general rule and require them only in individual cases that can be justified in the light of the Covenant.

(21) While noting that the expulsion of aliens is exercised "with great prudence" (paragraph 82 of the report), the Committee regrets that there is no law, or formal procedure, governing the expulsion of aliens from the territory of the DPRK.

Before expelling an alien, the State party should provide him or her with sufficient safeguards and an effective remedy, in conformity with article 13 of the Covenant. The State party is urged to consider the adoption of legislation governing the expulsion of aliens, which should be consistent with the principle of non-refoulement.

(22) The Committee notes with regret that the delegation was unable to provide up-to-date information about religious freedoms in the DPRK. As only 40,000 citizens of the DPRK (i.e., less than 0.2 per cent of the population), grouped into four religious communities, are said to be "believers", and in the light of information available to the Committee that religious practice is repressed or strongly discouraged in the DPRK, the Committee is seriously concerned that the State party's practice in this respect does not meet the requirements of article 18 of the Covenant.

The State party is requested to provide the Committee with up-to-date information about the number of DPRK citizens belonging to religious communities and the number of places of worship, as well as the practical measures taken by the authorities to guarantee the freedom of exercise of religious practice by the communities mentioned in paragraph 112 of the report.

(23) The Committee is concerned that various provisions of the Press Law, and their frequent invocation, are difficult to reconcile with the provisions of article 19 of the Covenant. The Committee is concerned that the notion of "threat to the State security" may be used in such ways as to restrict freedom of expression. Also, the Committee is concerned that the permanent presence, in the DPRK, of foreign media representatives is confined to journalists from three countries, and foreign newspapers and publications are not readily available to the public at large. Moreover, DPRK journalists may not travel abroad freely.

The State party should specify the reasons that have led to the prohibition of certain publications, and should refrain from measures that restrict the availability of foreign newspapers to the public. The State party is requested to relax restrictions on the travel abroad by DPRK journalists, and to avoid any use of the notion of "threat to the State security" that would repress freedom of expression contrary to article 19.

(24) The Committee has noted the delegation's statement that freedom of assembly is fully respected in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Committee remains concerned, however, about restrictions on public meetings and demonstrations, including possible abuse of the requirements of the laws governing assembly.

The Committee requests the State party to provide additional information on the conditions for public assemblies and, in particular, to indicate whether and under what conditions the holding of a public assembly can be prevented, and whether such a measure can be appealed.

(25) The provisions of article 25 include the right of every citizen of a State party to have the right and the opportunity, without the restrictions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions, to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives (art. 25 (a)), and to vote or be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the wish of the electors. The Committee has taken note of the delegation's explanation that, as there has been no popular manifestation of any desire to create new political parties, no regulation or legislation governing the creation and registration of political parties is currently envisaged. The Committee considers that this situation runs counter to the provisions of article 25 of the Covenant, as it may adversely affect the rights of citizens to participate in the conduct of public affairs through freely chosen representatives, as required by article 25.

The State party should refer to the Committee's General Comment 25[57] on article 25 as guidance in respect of the above issues, with a view to ensuring full compliance with the provisions of article 25.

(26) While noting the delegation's statement that trafficking of women does not exist in the DPRK, the Committee remains seriously concerned by the number of substantiated allegations about trafficking of women, in violation of article 8 of the Covenant, brought to its attention by non-governmental and other sources, including the report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women of the Commission on Human Rights.

The State party should investigate the above allegations further, in a spirit of cooperation, and report its findings to the Committee.

(27) The Committee notes with concern the low level of representation of women in more senior levels of the public sector, as well as the absence of any precise data on the representation of women in other sectors of the economy, including their level of responsibility.

The State party is requested to take measures to implement articles 3 and 26 of the Covenant by improving women's participation in the public sector workforce, especially in senior positions, and to provide the Committee with statistical data on the status of women, in particular as to the level of their responsibility and remuneration in the major economic sectors.

(28) The State party should ensure that its second periodic report, and the present concluding observations, are disseminated widely.

(29) The State party should indicate within one year, in accordance with rule 70, paragraph 5, of the Committee's rules of procedure, the measures it has taken or envisages to give effect to the Committee's recommendations contained in paragraphs 15, 22, 23, 24 and 26 of the present concluding observations.

(30) The Committee requests that the information relating to its other recommendations and to the Covenant as a whole should be included in the third periodic report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, to be submitted by 1 January 2004.