Human rights complaints increase

Complaints are sharply increasing against alleged infringements upon human rights by investigating authorities such as the police, the National Intelligence Service, the Defense Security Command and prosecutor's offices, Ministry of Justice data showed.

According to the data, submitted to the National Assembly Saturday as a reference for the parliamentary inspection of state affairs, a total of 1,035 complaints were filed against investigating agencies for alleged abuses of authority, illegal arrests, detentions, violence and atrocities between Jul. 1 last year and Jun. 30 this year.

The number is 6.9 times the total 145 complaints lodged between Jul. 1, 1998 and Aug. 31, 1999, the data showed.

Kong Jong-Sik kong@donga.com