South Korea's state-run institute on unification said Monday it plans to expand its studies on North Korea's human rights issues as a new law aimed at better examining Pyongyang's dismal rights record goes into effect in September.

The Korea Institute for National Unification said it plans to strengthen the operation of its center on North Korea's human rights and raise the number of relevant personnel.

The move is in line with the government's efforts to strengthen its capacity to probe into the North's human rights violation at a time when the international community is also pressing the North to deal with its abuses.

The KINU said that on top of monitoring the communist country's rights record, the global community is voicing the need to hold the North's leadership accountable for the human rights violation.

"(Against this backdrop), the institute has decided to expand its organization on North Korea's human rights, given the need for a systemic policy approach to the issue," it added.

The new law, which was passed at parliament in early March, is aimed at shedding light on the North's serious human rights violation and improving the situation.

Seoul is seeking to establish a center tasked with investigating the North's human rights violations and supporting relevant civic groups by September.

North Korea has long been labeled one of the worst human rights violators in the world. Pyongyang has bristled at such criticism, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information. (Yonhap)