Seoul on Wednesday night passed its North Korean human rights bill 11 years after it was first brought before the National Assembly, following the end of world’s longest filibuster against an anti-terrorism law which concluded with the opposition party’s surrender.

The legislation, which has been stuck since last fall despite broad agreement between the ruling Saenuri and opposition Minjoo parties, passed with a strong majority.

The sharpest conflict point, until the last moment, was whether to prioritize improvement of North Korean human rights or take a more balanced approach between human rights and the inter-Korean relationship. The former approach, favored by the