A/HRC/28/71 threaten to have a destabilizing impact on the region and the maintenance of international peace and security”.3 The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly opposed those requests in a letter dated 15 December addressed to the President of the Security Council.4 13. On 18 December 2014, the General Assembly adopted in plenary session the resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with an increased majority: 116 Member States voted in favour, 20 against and 53 abstained (resolution 69/188). 14. On 22 December 2014, the Security Council held a meeting to discuss the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. On behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights briefed the Council on the findings of the commission of inquiry, stressing that “rarely has such an extensive charge-sheet of international crimes been brought to the Council’s attention”.5 The Council voted to include the issue on its agenda (11 in favour; 2 against; 2 abstentions), paving the way for regular meetings on the issue. Member States refrained at that stage from making explicit calls for a referral of the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the International Criminal Court. 15. In the aftermath of those two key developments in the General Assembly and the Security Council, the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea indicated that it would suspend dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur, and that the respective invitations extended to visit the country were being withdrawn. The Special Rapporteur finds this stance deeply regrettable. He urges the Government to revisit its decision without delay, and remains ready to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as soon as possible to engage in further constructive dialogue on issues of concern. B. Main recent developments in neighbouring countries affected 1. Republic of Korea 16. The Special Rapporteur paid a visit to the Republic of Korea from 10 to 14 November 2014. During his visit, he met with senior officials from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Unification, the Office for National Security, and the National Intelligence Service, and members of the Human Rights Forum and of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly. He also met with the Mayor of Seoul and with representatives of the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea, non-governmental organizations and the diplomatic community. 17. The Special Rapporteur observed during his visit that national aspirations for reunification of the two Koreas into a single nation continued to be as strong as ever. In that context, he was briefed on the establishment in July 2014 of the Presidential Committee for 3 4 5 Letter dated 5 December 2014 from the representatives of Australia, Chile, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2014/872). Letter dated 15 December 2014 from the Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2014/896). Verbatim record of Security Council meeting of 22 December 2014 (S/PV.7353), p. 5. 5