President earns human rights honor

The RAFTO Foundation, based in Bergen, Norway, announced Thursday that it has selected President Kim Dae-Jung as this year' recipient of its human rights award.

The foundation cited that President Kim his endeavored to promote human rights and democracy as well as to take the lead in South-North Korean reconciliation and cooperation, consequently contributing to the improvement of human rights in the North.

The recipients of the award in the past included former Czech Foreign Minister Jiri Hajek, Myanmar dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, the wife of Soviet physicist Sakharov, and the East Timorese citizens. The award ceremony will be held in Bergen, Norway, on Nov. 5.