South Korea is often said to have achieved a rare combination of industrialization and democratization among developing countries in a short period of time. In this process one cannot underestimate the role of the pro-democracy human rights movement in the democratization and political liberalization of the country. Although the legitimacy, visibility, and moral fortitude of the human rights movement in South Korea were largely undisputed, the movement has recently been scrutinized for its perceived lack of interest with regard to the growing concern about human rights situation in North Korea. What made the traditional human rights movement reluctant to engage with the North Korean human rights issue?