A draft UN General Assembly resolution on North Korea's human rights situation not only calls for referring the matter to the International Criminal Court, but also expresses serious concern about Pyongyang's labor exports for the first time, according to a text unveiled Thursday.

Passage of the resolution, which has been submitted to and disclosed by the Third Committee, would mark the third consecutive year for the General Assembly to call on the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the ICC after the landmark resolution in 2014.

In particular, this year's resolution expresses "very serious concern" at "the exploitation of workers sent abroad from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to work under conditions that reportedly amount to forced labor."

It is the first time a General Assembly resolution has mentioned the North's labor exports, which has become an increasingly important source of hard currency for Pyongyang amid concern that the funds could be used for its nuclear and missile programs.

About 50,000-60,000 North Koreans are believed to be toiling overseas, mainly in the mining, logging, textile and construction industries. The average wage was stated as $120 to $150 per month, but in most cases employing firms paid salaries directly to the North's government.

The North reportedly receives more than $100 million from this system per year.

As in the past, the new resolution also calls on the Security Council to "take appropriate action to ensure accountability, including through consideration of referral of the situation" to the ICC, and through "consideration of the further development of sanctions in order to target effectively those who appear to be most responsible for human rights violations."

It also encourages the council to continue discussions on the issue.

The 2014 General Assembly resolution is considered a watershed moment in international efforts to improve the North's human rights situation as it marked the first time for the Assembly to call for the North's referral to the ICC.

That resolution led to the UN Security Council holding consultations on the issue for the first time later that year. In addition, a similar resolution was adopted last year and the Security Council also held discussions on the North's human rights situation for the second time.

The consecutive adoption of such resolutions underscored the seriousness the international community attaches to the problem and is expected to increase pressure on Pyongyang.

North Korea has long been labeled as one of the worst human rights violators. The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information.

But the North has bristled at such criticism, calling it a US-led attempt to topple its regime. (Yonhap)