the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island on the 23 November 2010 which resulted in the killing of South Korean marines and civilians and the injury of many others; and the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, hit by a torpedo allegedly fired from a North Korean submarine on 26 March 2010, which resulted in the death of 46 persons.

Last week, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong, which killed four, including two civilians, a crime against humanity [JURIST report]. North Korea's ongoing conflict with the South is not the only human rights issue for which the country has faced criticism. Last month, a UN committee condemned [JURIST report] what it called persistent, "grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights" of its own people. In March, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) [official website] adopted a resolution [A/HRC/13/L.13 materials] condemning [JURIST report] North Korea for grave human rights abuses. Earlier in March, UN Special Rapporteur for North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn [UN press release] reported [text, PDF] to the UNHRC that North Korean human rights situation was continuing to deteriorate [JURIST report]. This report came after Muntarbhorn's previous criticism, in October, 2009, of North Korea's "abysmal" [JURIST report] and ongoing human rights violations, alleging that the authoritarian government was responsible for various abuses, including torture, public executions, extensive surveillance, media censorship, women's rights violations and widespread hunger.