A/HRC/13/47 nationals of the Republic of Korea; emphasis on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a matter of universal value; provision of aid to that country on the basis of humanitarianism; and assistance for asylum-seekers from there. 70. Implementation of this policy has been effected on many fronts, while other challenges remain. Despite the offer of 50,000 tons of corn by the Republic of Korea in May 2008 (to which the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea did not respond), no food aid from the former had been provided to the latter since 2008. At the end of the Special Rapporteur’s visit, however, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had seemed to indicate that it would accept 10,000 tons of corn. Multilateral aid from the Republic of Korea has been channelled through United Nations agencies, particularly the World Health Organization and UNICEF, in the form of medicines and child-related necessities. Family reunion between the two countries resumed in the middle of 2009 after a two-year hiatus. The authorities of the Republic of Korea also support United Nations resolutions concerning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and have responded constructively to settle people from the latter in search of shelter and protection. There is a variety of opinions concerning the extent to which non-governmental organizations should be able to deliver aid directly to the country in question and how much regulation of this process is required. 71. The Special Rapporteur notes the generous help offered by the authorities in the Republic of Korea to persons from the country in question seeking shelter. To date, some 18,000 have been settled in the Republic of Korea in recent years, and the assistance given has expanded to include resident registration and housing support; financial subsidy; and educational, employment, medical and minimum-living support. On this matter, the Special Rapporteur paid a visit again to the Hanawon Centre, a centre for assisting newcomers in adapting to society which has excellent facilities. 72. Not far from Hanawon, there is the Hangyoreh Middle and High School, an exemplary open facility for adolescents from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with education adapted to their special needs. Given that the young people come from a politically claustrophobic background, the school emphasizes learning in a liberal, childresponsive manner, with extensive child participation in regulating their own lives and interlinking closely with volunteers from the community around and beyond the school. The adolescents are also encouraged to undertake activities as volunteers to help others in less fortunate positions. 73. The Special Rapporteur was very pleased to be able to interview directly persons who had sought asylum. Recent arrivals varied from those who had spent “several years on the road” prior to accessing the Republic of Korea, to those who had left the country of origin and accessed a transit country “within a week”, with possible resettlement in a couple of months. Many were women who had been treated brutally in the country of origin and in transit, having undergone such violence as punishments for trying the leave the country of origin without permission, human trafficking and smuggling, forced marriage, prosecution as illegal immigrants, and detention in immigration jail pending exit to the Republic of Korea. 74. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes the following recommendations on the basis of lessons learned from this visit: (a) Resumption of the Six-Party Talks would be welcome, moving from the current state of dormancy to substantive discourse and convergent action, contributing to the space for human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; (b) Humanitarian policies on the part of the Republic of Korea towards its northern neighbour should be continued and strengthened, in particular the offer of GE.10-10793 17