On December 20 and 21, 2006, Mr. Kyong-Whan Ahn, the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) visited and spoke with soldiers and policemen to encourage them and identify their grievances and difficulties as part of the NHRCK Human Rights Site Visitation program. The chairperson" s visits this December to areas deemed vulnerable to human rights violations were focused on the Army and the police, which are two of the most frequently cited respondents in complaints filed with the Commission. On December 20, he visited platoons of the 5th Army Corps near the Demilitarized Zone to educate officers about human rights and inspire soldiers. Chairperson Ahn paid a visit to frontline general outposts (GOPs) and guard posts (GPs), examined the living conditions in soldier barracks, and listened to soldiers describe their difficulties and grievances.
In addition, on December 21, Chairperson Ahn spent time with injured riot policemen and police conscripts, to support them and allow them to discuss their feelings about restraining demonstrators. The Commission plans to positively reflect the opinions of the soldiers and policemen in its future policy. It will also direct the relevant teams to review and address the complaints raised during the visits.
