The global community should take further actions against North Korea's grave human rights violations as the situation has not improved despite international pressure, a United Nations investigator has said.

Last December, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution calling on the Security Council to refer North Korea's human rights abuses to the International Criminal Court. It is poised to adopt a similar resolution next month.

Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in North Korea, urged the international community to work on ensuring the North's accountability for what the world body called "crimes against humanity."

"This year, another resolution will be tabled because not much change has happened in North Korea since last year. In fact, I don't think any changes have taken place," Darusman said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency held on Tuesday in Seoul.

Darusman was in Seoul to attend a global conference on the North's human rights records to be held on Wednesday.

North Korea has long been branded as one of the worst human rights violators. Pyongyang has bristled at such criticism, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

Darusman said in his recent report to the U.N. that there are widespread human rights abuses in the North such as summary executions and torture.

He also said that more than 50,000 North Koreans have been forced to work abroad, mainly in China and Russia as the North seeks to earn hard currency. Pyongyang is under heavy sanctions by the Security Council for its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.

The U.N. rapporteur claimed that there is the need to apply the concept of "universal jurisdiction" to North Korea's rights abuses.

The exercise of universal jurisdiction allows states to investigate and prosecute those who commit crimes against humanity, regardless of where such atrocities are committed or the criminals' nationality.

"It means that any court in the world should be able to address any case that is related to the DPRK with the regard to its human rights violations," he said. The DPRK is the acronym of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Darusman said that the move would pave the way for making North Korean perpetrators accountable for such crimes, voicing hope that the U.N. could initiate discussion on the issue.

"Universal jurisdiction will help effectively make the accountability process universal and spread out throughout the world. That means there is no escaping from wrongdoings that have been committed on their people," he added.

Darusman said he is "ready" to visit North Korea if Pyongyang invites him so that he could have a "deeper understanding" about the North's situation.

In October last year, the North offered to allow him to visit the reclusive country in exchange for dropping the clause on the referral of the North human rights issue to the ICC in the resolution. At that time, he urged the North to invite him unconditionally.

He also stressed the need for the South Korean government to increase humanitarian assistance to the impoverished North.

"I think (the provision of) humanitarian aid should be separated from political issues because it is aimed at easing the suffering of people in the DPRK," Darusman added.

South Korea is seeking to spur civilian inter-Korean exchanges, but the government's aid to the North have been largely small since Seoul imposed sanctions on Pyongyang following the deadly sinking of a warship in 2010.

"It should be disconnected to any immediate political issues," the U.N. rapporteur said, adding that South Korea should be at the forefront of extending such assistance to the North. (Yonhap)