Forum blasts N.Korea on human rights

SEOUL, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. diplomats joined South Korean activists at a forum to condemn North Korea's human rights abuses and South Korea's passive stance on the issue.

Some 700 activists and North Korean defectors attended the Thursday opening of the two-day conference, the Korea Herald reported Friday.

Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow told the gathering it was time to take action against human rights abuses in the North.

Jay Lefkowitz, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, said challenging the status quo was not a threat to peace. "Failing to ... take steps towards liberalization is a far greater risk to the long-term security and economic prosperity in the region," he said.

Participants signed a declaration urging the South Korean government to take "a genuine interest in the human rights condition of North Korea."

Seoul abstained during a U.N. General Assembly vote last month on a resolution expressing concern over human rights in North Korea. The government fears that taking a strong stance on the issue could destabilize inter-Korean exchanges and nuclear negotiations.

Elsewhere in Seoul, pro-North Korean activists rallied to condemn the event, which they claimed was "political maneuvering" reflecting Washington's hostile policy toward the North.