l June 4- Eight social activists from the Mekong River region, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Burma, along with a manager from the Global Civic Sharing (NGO) visited the NHRCK to learn about the NHRCK’s role in Korean society, and its relationships with other civil societies. The activists also shared human rights issues of their own region, such as Myanmarese migrant laborers in Thailand, and the functions of their human rights committees.
l June 4– The Japanese Lawyers Union visited the NHRCK to learn about its activities on the protection of freedom of expression, along with other general duties and issues of the commission.
The 15 members of the union were to visit Korea from May 31 to June 4 to investigate on the freedom of expression, such as issues on the revision of media law that might threaten the freedom of press.
The group plans to have a presentation on “The reality of freedom of expression and civic movement in Korea,” at the regular symposium of the Japanese Lawyers Union in the forthcoming fall.
They also visited OhmyNews, MBC labor union and YTN labor union, which recently brought a controversy with their employers and the government about the freedom of expression.
l June 9- Dr. Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, a member of Social Democratic Party of Germany visited the NHRCK and delivered a lecture on “Human Rights Situation in German – Protection of Political Basic Rights and Democracy.”
Before the lecture, Dr. Gmelin personally met with Chairperson Ahn Kyong-Whan and Standing Commissioner Yoo Nam-Yeong, and discussed about; the systemic difference between the national human rights commissions of Korea and human rights institutions of German; the standard of human rights; and Korea’s current issues in the field of human rights.
Dr. Gmelin was invited to Korea by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s Korea Office, along with her visit to China.
l June 11– Some 12 students and professors from the Hong Kong Institute of Education visited the NHRCK, to learn about the commission’s role in realizing gender equality and related cultural change in Korean society.
The group was invited to Korea by the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education. They also visited Ehwa Women’s University and Song-pa Juveniles’ Gender Education Center.
