The Lost Nomad points to a report on how a government-funded research institute is now, and quite properly, criticizing the Seoul government’s North Korea policies:

A government-funded North Korea research institute voiced some rare criticism yesterday of the administration’s stance on human rights in the North. The Korea Institute of National Unification, an organ under the prime minister’s office, also urged that Seoul join international efforts to press the reclusive nation to end its abuses of its citizens. The institute released a paper on the European Union’s stance on human rights issues in the North and Pyongyang’s reaction to the outside pressure.

[…]

The report recommended that the government articulate a clear stance that the communist government must reform its practices. "Regarding the rights issues, it is necessary to make clear that the South Korean national leader is paying attention to the matter," the report said, urging President Roh Moo-hyun to show that he is concerned about rights violations across the Demilitarized Zone. The report suggested that South Korea should consider the EU and U.S. carrot-and-stick approach - continuing to provide humanitarian aid while criticizing abuses. "A North Korea policy focused only on giving humanitarian aid will have difficulty in gaining support at home and abroad, and that is undesirable for the administration’s long-term North Korea policymaking," the report said.

If anything holds true it’s that the winds of change blow quickly in South Korea and I’ve seen how fast this entire nation can come together on something.  Just look at the 97 financial crisis or the 2002/2003 U.S. hate-fest as examples.  If somehow, public sentiment started swinging towards condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses, I wonder how the government would react?

AsiaPundit has also noticed the ability of Koreans to switch behavior and attitudes on a mass scale, with both positive and negative effects. The switch from a nation with a high-savings rate and low personal consumption to a nation with massive credit card debts is memorable incidence of this. But Ap is also hopeful that a sea change is happening on attitudes toward North Korea.

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