Frank La Rue, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, is visiting South Korea later this week for research, the government said Monday, Xinhua reported.
He will assess the level of freedom of expression in South Korea between May 6 and May 17 during his official visit to the country, the foreign ministry in Seoul said.
"I believe South Korea has a pretty advanced level of freedom of speech," foreign ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said in a press briefing.
"But any society has problems, and as one of the countries seeking to promote freedom of expression, we are hoping to discuss the issue closely with the UN rapporteur," Kim added.