Japan, U.S. seek U.N. inquiry into North Korea abuses

GENEVA (Reuters) - Japan and the United States called on Tuesday for the main U.N. human rights forum to launch an inquiry into allegations of violations including the torture and execution of political prisoners in North Korea.

The reclusive country's network of political prison camps are believed to contain at least 200,000 people and have been the scene of rapes, torture, executions and slave labour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said last month.