A United Nations human rights inquiry has concluded that the brutality of the North Korean government "does not have any parallel in the contemporary world." After detailing the multitude of crimes committed by the regime against its own people, the panel said that it would refer its findings to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible prosecution and warned North Korean leader Kim Jung Un that he could be tried for crimes against humanity.
That assessment is long overdue: The crimes and abuses of the Pyongyang government are well known; the only thing that has been missing is official acknowledgement of them.
Sadly little will come of this path-breaking report: China has objected to its content and conclusions, and will likely veto its consideration by the United Nations Security Council.