The Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution on North Korea's human rights situation that calls for referring the communist regime to the International Criminal Court.

The resolution passed in a 112-19 vote, with 50 abstentions.

The overwhelming passage almost guarantees its formal adoption at the General Assembly expected for mid-December as the General Assembly process is seen largely as a formality.

The resolution, which was introduced by the European Union and Japan on Oct. 30, is largely similar to a landmark resolution that was adopted at last year's General Assembly with a call for referring the North's human rights situation to the ICC for the first time.

"The General Assembly ... encourages the Security Council to continue its consideration of the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the commission of inquiry and take appropriate action to ensure accountability, including through consideration of the referral of the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the International Criminal Court," the resolution said.

The resolution also calls for "effective targeted sanctions against those who appear to be most responsible for acts that the commission has said may constitute crimes against humanity" and encourages the Security Council to continue discussions and active engagement on the issue.

The resolution reflects the seriousness the international community attaches to the problem, and is expected to increase pressure on Pyongyang. After the adoption of last year's resolution, the Security Council held its first meeting on the North's human rights issue. The council could do the same once the new resolution is adopted.

"For now, it's hard to say whether (the Security Council) will convene a meeting in December just as it did last year or take more time" before convening a meeting, South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Oh Joon told Yonhap News Agency.

But many observers believe there is a high chance for the council to take up the issue in December as the United States will be holding the council's rotating presidency for the month.

During Thursday's committe meeting, the North's deputy chief of its mission to the U.N., Choe Myong-nam, denounced the resolution as a U.S.-led plot to topple the regime. China, Russia, Syria, Cuba and other countries with friendly ties with Pyongyang also opposed the resolution, calling it politically motivated.

Despite calls for the North's referral to the ICC, chances are not high for the Security Council to actually refer the issue to the ICC because China and Russia, which have friendlier ties with North Korea than any other countries, are expected to veto such a move.

Still, such resolutions play a great role in drawing international attention to the issue.

North Korea has long been labeled one of the worst human rights violators. The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information.

But the North has bristled at such criticism, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

In June, the State Department said in its annual human rights report that the North's human rights record "remained among the worst in the world" last year, with public executions, political prison camps, torture and other abuses taking place in the country. (Yonhap)