North Korea must improve its "appalling¹" human rights record if it wants better relations with the United States, a visiting US envoy² has said.

一位美国特使称，朝鲜如果想要改善与美国的关系，必须提高其“可怕的”人权状况。

North Korea's nuclear programme has heightened regional tensions

Robert King, US special envoy for North Korean human rights, is on his first official trip to South Korea.

In its traditional New Year editorial社论, the North called for an end to hostile敌对的 relations with the United States.

Mr King also insisted that people fleeing the North should be recognised as refugees.

Many who flee into China have been caught and sent back to North Korea as economic migrants.

'Appalling'

"It's one of the worst places in terms of在……方面 lack of human rights. The situation is appalling," Mr King said on the first full day of a fact-finding visit to South Korea.

"As we have said on many occasions a relationship between the US and North Korea will have to involve human rights," Mr King told reporters after meeting Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan.

"To improve relations between the US and North Korea will have to involve a greater respect for human rights by North Korea. That's one of the important conditions," he said.

Mr King said rights must be addressed as part of stalled six-party nuclear disarmament裁军，解除武装 talks.

The US nuclear envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, visited the North last month to try to persuade it to return to the six-party talks.

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva last month heard demands from western countries that North Korea open up to international organisations and monitors.

Countries also raised concerns about "serious human rights violations³" including reports of child labour, executions, the detention⁴ of political prisoners and torture拷问，折磨.

The North's representative dismissed摒弃，解散 many of the allegations as "fabricated伪造的".

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Vitit Muntarbhorn, is also visiting South Korea this week, but has been barred from travelling there.

Lasting⁵ peace?

Mr King also said the US was trying to find out what happened to the young missionary⁶, Robert Park, who walked into North Korea in late December.

"We are actively⁷ working to find out where he is being held and to urge that he be released. We have requested that our protecting power in Pyongyang determine his condition and we have not heard yet what that is," Mr King said.

North Korea's New Year message, carried in major newspapers, said Pyongyang wanted "a lasting peace system on the Korean Peninsula".

In response, a US State Department official said North Korea should show its good faith by returning to six-party talks on its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang pulled out of退出，拉出 the talks last April following widespread condemnation⁸ of a long-range missile launch.

International pressure grew following a nuclear test in May - which drew UN sanctions and further missile tests.

But in December, North Korea said it would work with the US to "narrow remaining differences" following a visit to Pyongyang by US President Barack Obama's special envoy Stephen Bosworth.