In this report, Asia Watch calls upon the South Korean government to strengthen its commitment to human rights. The government of South Korea has recently agreed to reforms that augur well for the improved observance of human rights, particularly involving judivial review of the constitutionality of laws and the rights of detainees.
However, the report documents the continued imprisonment of several hundred political prisoners and asserts that many South Koreans are imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their views. Asia Watch also criticizes the ambiguous standards the government has used in determining who will be released in government amnesties, and states that these standards have permitted the continued imprisonment of peaceful political activists.