A/HRC/8/40 Page 12 America recommended amending the National Security Law to prevent abusive interpretations of the law. 48. Australia noted that NGOs have expressed concern that 58 prisoners remain on death row and certain crimes still carry the death penalty, and enquired whether there is active consideration by the Republic of Korea to signing the Second Optional Protocol to ICCPR. 49. Tunisia noted with satisfaction the efforts undertaken to promote the rights of social categories having specific needs and commended the Republic of Korea for signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 50. Japan wanted to know when the Republic of Korea will ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also asked what measures the Government has taken so far to address violations of human rights on the Internet while protecting freedom of expression, given that wider use of the Internet has not only affected the privacy of individuals but also disseminated harmful information, such as discriminatory materials and child pornography. 51. Germany noted the concern of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants that foreign female spouses do not enjoy the same rights as Korean citizens, that they are seemingly not allowed to work legally and that their residence status depends entirely on their Korean husband, thus subjecting them to possible abuse. It asked about possible plans to change the relevant legislation in order to allow for a more active participation of female foreign spouses in the economic sphere and to shield them from abuse. 52. Noting that numerous immigrants coming from various countries are gradually being integrated into Korean society, Peru recommended ratification of ICRMW and of the Palermo Protocol and recalled that the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants informed about human trafficking and potential abuse of the so-called artists’ visas. 53. In response to additional questions, the Republic of Korea explained its policy on the ratification of international human rights treaties and withdrawal of reservations. The Republic of Korea is a party to six core international human rights treaties and continues to examine the possibility of ratifying other ones. The Republic of Korea also tries to withdraw reservations to core human rights treaties through active consultations with relevant stakeholders, and will continue these efforts and take various legislative measures to comply with international standards. Since the Optional Protocol to CAT took effect in June 2006, the Government began consultations to consider its ratification. These consultations are still in progress. In addition, the NHRCK conducts occasional visits and investigations into detention facilities, substantially engaging in countertorture activities which constitute an integral part of the Optional Protocol to CAT. As explained in the report, the Republic of Korea is not a party to the ICRMW, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the four ILO Conventions (Nos. 29, 87, 98 and 105). The ratification of the ICRMW will be thoroughly examined, taking into consideration the characteristics of relevant domestic legislation. The Republic of Korea continues to consider signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and is examining the scope of its domestic legislation, including the revision of punishment provisions. Concerning the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Republic of Korea is currently undertaking domestic procedures for its ratification and it hopes that these will be concluded soon. Regarding the withdrawal of reservations to article 22 of ICCPR, the delegation indicated that this will be decided taking careful consideration of the laws and systems.