National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea ① Recommendation Calling for a North Korean Human Rights Act On March 24, 2014, the NHRCK recommended that the Speaker of the National Assembly, without delay, enacts a North Korean Human Rights Act which is pending at the National Assembly while separating the main agencies in charge of North Korean affairs into two. Pieces of legislation related to the livelihoods of North Korean people would fall under the Ministry of Unification while legislation dealing with issues related to the human rights of North Koreans would be under the NHRCK based on a bill the NHRCK developed and submitted. ② Opinion Calling for Adopting its Recommendation on a North Korean Human Rights Act On December 1, 2014, the Commission expressed its opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly that a North Korean Human Rights Act should be enacted based on the NHRCK’s recommendation of March 24, 2014 which says that the main agencies in charge of North Korean affairs should be divided: with the NHRCK in charge of legislation related to North Korean human rights and the Ministry of Unification in charge of legislations related to the livelihoods of North Korean People. ③ Welcoming Statement from the Chairperson regarding the Report of the UN COI On March 20, 2014, the Commission issued the chairperson’s welcoming statement regarding the report of the UN Human Rights Commission of Inquiry on North Korea (COI), appreciating that the report successfully confirmed the systematic and wide ranging human rights violations by North Korean authorities through transparent and objective investigations mobilizing every possible means including interviewing victims and collecting evidence from satellite pictures despite the fact that it is impossible to directly access North Korea. In the statement, it also encouraged North Korea, China, other important state Chapter 1. Improvement of Laws, Regulations, Institutions, Policies and Practices ▪▪▪ 67