S. Korea reviews U.S. human rights report for possible errors

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government is looking at the newly
published U.S. report on human rights to see if it contains erroneous information
on the country's situation, officials here said Thursday.
In its global report for 2008, issued Wednesday, the State Department not only
harshly criticized North Korea's "abysmal" record but also pointed at several
problems in South Korea.
It said rape and violence against women remained serious problems in South Korea
and prostitution is widespread, albeit illegal here.
"Korean women were trafficked primarily for sexual exploitation to the United
States, sometimes through Canada and Mexico, as well as to other countries, such
as Australia and Japan," the report said without providing specific statistics.
"The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but
societal discrimination persisted."
The South Korean foreign ministry said it will check related records and take
necessary actions.
"We will examine the descriptions of the South Korean situation in cooperation
with the justice, labor, and gender equality ministries," ministry spokesman Moon
Tae-young said. "If incorrect information is found, we will ask the U.S. to
correct it."
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)