Criticism of North Korean Repression Is Discouraged, Activists Complain

Seoul closes the physical office of a human-rights foundation that had angered Pyongyang, as authorities try to avoid upsetting the North

Yun-hwan Chae and

Andrew Jeong

June 25, 2018 12:51 p.m. ET

SEOUL—South Korean authorities, wary of upsetting a rapprochement with North Korea, are playing down the need to confront Pyongyang’s human-rights violations, worrying defectors and activists who have spoken out against the regime’s repression.

In recent weeks, President Moon Jae-in’s administration closed the physical office of a human-rights foundation that had angered Pyongyang, while a senior presidential adviser said human rights should take a back seat to other matters in discussions with the North.

...