By Reuben Staines
Staff Reporter
South Korea will stick to its policy of peaceful engagement to achieve a gradual improvement of human rights conditions in North Korea, despite moves by the United States to crank up the pressure on Pyongyang’s rights abuses, a top government official said Friday.

Responding to questions on the U.S. Senate’s approval Tuesday of the North Korean Human Rights Act, the senior foreign ministry official said Seoul’s focus on inter-Korean reconciliation means it sees the human rights issue differently from the U.S.

``The government will pursue a gradual but practical improvement in North Korean human rights while seeking to realize reconciliation,’’ he said at a briefing, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. ``Every country can opt for its own strategy to improve the human rights conditions, as every country is under different circumstances.’’

With speculation growing over the likely effect of the human rights bill, which North Korea condemns as an attempt to undermine its sovereignty, the statement appears to be an attempt to clarify Seoul’s stance.

The South Korean government has often been criticized for its ``silent diplomacy’’ on the human rights issue, refusing to press the North due to concerns that it might damage the peace process.

The senior official’s comments also come amid negotiations to secure safe passage to Seoul for 44 North Korean defectors who scaled the wall of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing Wednesday.

``The South Korean and Chinese governments are closely cooperating to bring them to Seoul,’’ he said.

On Thursday, China urged Canada to hand over defectors, promising to treat them in a humanitarian manner.

Some observers said China was attempting to show its discomfort with the U.S. bill, which provides funding to help the thousands of North Korean defectors hiding out in China.

But the Seoul official said this kind of request is usual from Beijing, which has an agreement with Pyongyang to repatriate defectors.

``In the past, China has allowed defectors to travel to another country if they desire to,’’ he explained, expressing optimism that the group would be allowed to resettle in the South.

The foreign ministry said Seoul is also petitioning Beijing over defectors who remain in police custody after seeking asylum at Shanghai American School. Chinese police have released two girls from among the nine alleged North Korean asylum seekers.

``We have clearly expressed our view to the Chinese government that their will should be respected and they should not be deported back to North Korea,’’ he said.

The defectors apparently believed the school could provide them diplomatic sanctuary but the principal decided to turn them over to Chinese authorities.

Inter-Korean relations have cooled significantly in recent months following a mass defection of more than 460 North Koreans to the South.

rjs@koreatimes.co.kr