made the declaration provided for in article 41 of the Covenant. It has also joined ILO. The Committee also notes with satisfaction that consideration is currently being given to the possibility of withdrawing the Republic of Korea's reservations to the Covenant. Additionally, progress has been made in regard to providing legal aid and towards narrowing the scope of operation of the National Security Law. Internal political dissent is now more accepted. The Constitutional Court/ an independent organ, is playing a vigorous and important role. 2. Factors and difficulties impeding the application of the Covenant 513. The Committee notes that the relations between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea still appear to be an important factor affecting the human rights situation in the Republic of Korea. The recent conclusion of the Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-aggression and Exchanges and Cooperation appears to constitute a positive step. According to the authorities, the Republic of Korea is, however, still coping with a very real threat of destabilization and military provocation, and therefore the Government continues to hold the view that it is essential to retain the National Security Law in order to protect the security and integrity of its liberal democratic system. 3. Principal subjects of concern 514. The Committee expresses its concern over the fact that the Constitution does not incorporate all the rights enshrined in the Covenant. Also, the non-discrimination provisions of article 11 of the Constitution would seem to be rather incomplete as compared with articles 2 and 26 of the Covenant. These concerns are not allayed by the argument that, pursuant to article 37 of the Constitution, various rights and freedoms not enumerated therein are not to be neglected. 515. The Committee's main concern relates to the continued operation of the National Security Law. Although the particular situation in which the Republic of Korea finds itself has implications for public order in the country, its influence ought not to be overestimated. The Committee believes that ordinary laws and specifically applicable criminal laws should be sufficient to deal with offences against national security. Furthermore, some issues addressed by the National Security Law are defined in somewhat vague terms, allowing for broad interpretation that may result in sanctioning acts that may not be truly dangerous for State security and responses to those acts unauthorized by the Covenant, 516. The Committee wishes to express its concern regarding the use of excessive force by the police; the extent of the investigatory powers of the National Security Planning Agency; and the implementation of article 12, particularly in so far as visits to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are concerned. The Committee also considers that the conditions under which prisoners are being re-educated do not constitute rehabilitation in the normal sense of the term and that the amount of coercion utilized in that process could amount to an infringement of the provisions of the Covenant relating to -123-