Talk:Human rights in North Korea

This is not an encyclopedia article article -- it is simply an observation about North Korea's worse-than-dubious human rights record. Notwithstanding that "human rights in North Korea" is indeed an oxymoron, this (correct) observation does not an article make. I'm sure there's a section under the North Korea article on human rights that could be expanded, even though it's surely infinitely more complex than this non-article is.Zantastik 06:25, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Haham hanuka - You have challenged the accuracy of this article. You have challenged without presenting any reason and by marking as "m" a minor change. Please change inaccuracies in the article, provide areas of challenge or remove dispute notice. --Hunfe 8 July 2005 19:03 (UTC)

I can't say it's factually inaccurate or even non-neutral, but I can say it's pretty much a carbon-copy of this section in the North Korea main article. Re-write it or delete it. --yalbik 04:38, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

I added a large section centered on a direct citation from the most recent United Nations Human Rights Resolution on North Korea that specifically refers to major human rights resolutions. Since its from the UN I figured it was appropriate and probably the best source of authority on the subject. Does anyone disagree? The Way 02:18, 1 September 2005 (UTC)

I disagree with the first commentator. The content in this article is appropriate for wikipedia. If this is not appropriate, then I guess information on the human rights abuses under Stalin is not appropriate for a encyclopedia article. That said: I have researched North Korea from various sources, including the references mentioned in the article, and I would have to agree with the author. I can't see anything in the article that is factually inaccurate and if anyone can, I would appreciate it if they would bring it to the attention of the readers. (minus the propaganda from the North Korean Government) However, I would appreciate specifics. artsbiotech

POV tag

Looking over the article I find it a bit long on sensational language and POV conclusions about which sources should be trusted, both of which are improper on Wikipedia. See, for example, this edit. I'll see if I work on the article later this week, but for now I have added the POV tag. Gazpacho 21:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I agree with Gazpacho that this article should use more neutral language in a few places. There are some pretty extensive quotes in the article. Can these be summarised and shorter quotes used?

I also think the article needs better referencing and source material too. It would be really good if anyone has access to a source called Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, published in 1988. I have heard that it was one of the most thorough and detailed studies of the situation. Even though it was written 17 years ago, little has changed. Here is a description of this report from a column by Aidan Foster-Carter -

In the 1980s, two US monitors - Minnesota Lawyers International Human Rights Committee and Asia Watch - determined to tackle the hermit Kimdom full-on. In 1988 they published Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a 300-page book that set a benchmark for all subsequent work. Soberly presented and carefully researched - including tapping Koreans in Japan with relatives in North Korea, a valuable source previously overlooked - they provided a mine of information that still stands up.

And there is a host of other great resources on this topic to be found on the web. For example -

• Amnesty International
• U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
• MSNBC report

--Alexxx1 23:07, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

POV/Clean-up

Well, I've done an extensive clean-up of the article, rewording, replacing, and adding many paragraphs. I've also consolidated duplicate references and placed them in a reference section at the bottom, which makes the article look much more professional. I'd like to work on removing the POV tag; could anybody please mention specifics they would like to see corrected?--naryathegreat | (talk) 02:15, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

I've always thought it enough to note North Korea's denials and the accusation that the defectors have an agenda. I'm sure it couldn't be too difficult to dig up press releases from NK news agencies and embassy, or some Western news reports where North Korean praise Kim Jong-il, etc. I'd like to add that, elaborate on the economy and criminal justice system, then submit to peer review.--ThreeAnswers 04:16, 27 January 2006 (UTC)