The South Korean government will launch its first investigation into compulsory or forced labor in North Korea, the unification ministry has announced, as part of ongoing efforts to spotlight human rights violations in the country.

The focal point of the inquiry will be changes in forced labor practices since current DPRK leader Kim Jong Un took power in 2011, according to a call for submissions for researchers uploaded to the ministry’s website last Wednesday. 

While the first stage of the research will focus on analyzing North Korean laws and labor regulations, the bulk of the work will consist of “in-depth