Chairperson Ahn Kyong-Whan of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea delivered a commemorative speech to mark the 6th Anniversary of the Commission on November 23, 2006. The speech was given at a gathering for colleagues of the Commission.
The Commission’s headquarters in Seoul was founded in November 25, 2001. The Commission’s Regional Offices in Busan, Gwangju and Daegu opened in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
The full, translated transcript of the speech is below.
“Dear colleagues,
Today is a truly joyous day. Six years ago, our Commission came into being, showered with the high expectations and many blessings from the Korean public. Every single birth in this world is precious, but among them, the birth of our Commission was a significant event that justified the blessing of every single person in the Republic of Korea. As the world recognizes, Korea fell under colonial rule prior to World War II, underwent the tragedy of the Korean War, but rose from the rubble and debris to stand out as a nation that has achieved both economic growth and democratization in the shortest period of time in the world's history. While the nation's modernization and industrialization policies drove its economic growth, the Korean people's yearning for the promotion of human rights and democratization led to the birth of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
Many committed pioneers have dedicated their efforts both leading up to and since receiving national consent for the launch of our Commission. Without their tears and sweat, our Commission would not stand as firm as it does today. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to those who laid a robust foundation for our Commission, so that it could be what it is today, including the three former Chairpersons, Mr. Kim Chang-Kuk, Mr. Choi Young-Do and Mr. Cho Young-Hoang, and our former commissioners.
Taking the office as the fourth chair of the Commission on October 30 last year, I presented a vision to you and all the Korean people: the Commission as a more mature state agency. I urged you to double your efforts to that end. Today I would like to reiterate my commitment to the vision. The reason we prepared this meeting as a friendly gathering is to once again hone our unity and commitment. Now I would like to renew our vision for the future by telling you my thoughts based on my year of experience at the Commission.
First, we should reaffirm our belief in the universality of human rights. We need to remind ourselves of the very basic proposition that human rights are universal values that transcend political systems and ideologies and are the bread on which humanity must be nourished every day. The balance of human rights is tipped neither to the left nor the right; the values of human rights are neither in favor of progressivism nor in favor of conservatism. The values of human rights ought not to vary depending on which political ideal is in fashion and who is in power.
However, it is also true people and groups with different political ideologies and values view a specific, practical issue from different angles. With the presidential election just around the corner, some might be worried about the seemingly uncertain future, thinking, "What if the new president and his administration change the status and role of our Commission?" I would like to emphasize that such a concern is groundless, and based solely on a lack of understanding of the essence and nature of human rights.
What necessitated the birth of our commission six years ago was the times. If political leaders played a role, it was only to accept the demand of the times. Whoever will be elected president and whichever administration will come into power, they will not and cannot turn a blind eye to the call of the times. I stressed this already in my New Year speech on January 2 this year. I stressed to you that even if the entire country were carried away by the fervor of the election, we should carry out our missions quietly and thoroughly, maintaining our composure as usual. Once again I would like to call on you to reinforce your commitment.
Second, as members of a state agency of the Republic of Korea, we need to fortify ourselves once again to better perform our roles and responsibilities with a professional and balanced attitude. Only when we are trusted enough by the public can our pride as an independent agency that stands separate from the legislature, the judicature and the executive be justified. We have made tireless efforts to initiate prompt and well-founded remedies for human rights violations and discrimination complaints filed with us. As a result, remarkable progress has been made, leading to stronger confidence in our judgment. Furthermore, we have also strived to provide the wisdom to resolve conflicts through peaceful procedures to those who find themselves in conflict. Such balanced efforts should continue into the future.
Third, we should continue to pay heed to a range of subjects on which our commission has expressed its stance. A case in point is North Korean human rights issues. A broad spectrum of opinions have been voiced pertaining to the effect of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the status of North Korea in light of international laws. Behind the debate are political implications. And we know that. However, one thing is clear: North Korea is not entirely a foreign country to us, but it is not a part of the Republic of Korea, either. It has a very unique status. South and North Korea are in such an extraordinary relationship. It has been the commission's consistent stance that the so-called issues of North Korean human rights should be addressed with that exceptionality in mind. In this vein, in December of last year the commission articulated a comprehensive position on North Korean human rights. Now is the time for us to pay attention to the details with a more active approach. Although the authority and power bestowed on us by law is limited, we should leverage that limited authority and power in a more effective way to take a deeper interest in a range of human rights issues that originated from North Korea but weigh heavily on the international community's agenda.
Fourth, we should make special efforts to strengthen the commission's international standing and capabilities. Last year our commission endeavored to increase its status and weight in the international community. We should bolster these efforts. The economic power of the Republic of Korea has driven up its international status as a country; in the area of human rights, efforts should be made to achieve an equivalent status. The international community has high expectations of Korea's state agency dedicated to human rights—our commission. There are even nations that look to us as their ideal destination. In collaboration with the international community, we should pay attention to and address human rights issues in other nations to the extent our capabilities allow.
Fifth, in this context, we should shed any narrow-minded, nationalistic sentiment we might hold and take the lead in establishing a new human rights climate befitting a multiracial and multicultural society. We ought to take special note of the issues of migrant workers, marriage migrants, and their children. We should double our efforts to help saetomin, South Korean citizens who came from the North to find a new home, to adapt and settle in our society without suffering alienation.
Dear colleagues in the NHRCK! Autumn is upon us with the gift of an abundant harvest. I hope we will all rejoice at home and at work, reaping an abundant harvest and amassing the wisdom of chusudongjang, or harvesting in autumn and hoarding for winter (秋收冬藏). Let us celebrate today, our commission's sixth birthday, and anticipate sharing even greater fruit on the same day next year.
Thank you.”
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea was established in 2001, offering investigation and remedy services for Korean citizens and foreigners residing in Korea against human rights violations and discrimination. The Commission provides policy recommendations and remedial action against human rights infringements, collaborates with international human rights organizations and implements educational programs to improve the human rights culture.
