“Let's lead the crusade for human rights!”
Dear colleagues at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea! I trust and rely on each an every one of you as always, and I am happy that the year 2008 has finally arrived. If we view history as a process of continual development, not as a series of isolated events, the beginning of the new year would not fundamentally change an organization's historic callings. Everyone would benefit enormously by recalling practical wisdom and making resolutions when posting the new year's calendar on the wall. We gather here together today to ruminate on the meaning of the year 2008 for the Commission.
There are a number of reasons that 2008 is more important for the Korean people than any other. First, this year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Korea. In the Korean psyche, the number sixty has traditionally held tremendous meaning. A person's sixtieth birthday represents the consummation of his or her life and marks a new beginning. The Korean people had long been deprived of their due civil rights by a foreign power on their own land, as was demonstrated with the proclamation in 1919 of the Declaration of Korean Independence. They eventually broke away from years of tyranny and founded the Republic of Korea amid turmoil in international politics. The country has since seen one dramatic change after another up to the present day.
Weathering all manner of hardships, the Republic of Korea has emerged as one of the major nations of the world. The country is being praised by the international community as virtually the only former pre-war colony to have achieved astounding economic growth and democratization simultaneously. All economic indicators show that the Republic of Korea is on the verge of joining the ranks of advanced nations. However, the level of advancement of a country cannot be judged only by economic figures. Only a country that has economic prowess and firm rule of law and where the citizens are staunchly law-abiding and have respect for human rights can be acknowledged as an advanced nation in a genuine sense. On the occasion of its sixtieth anniversary, the Republic of Korea needs to commit itself to promoting human rights in the public consciousness in order to prepare itself to become an indisputably advanced country.
Secondly, a new government under a new president is being launched in 2008. I have taken every opportunity to emphasize that human rights, in a word, are the life blood of modern society. The Commission's duty is to promote human rights in all aspects of daily life so that all individuals may live in dignity. Political ideology cannot affect, in any way, the government's obligation to safeguard human rights. The intrinsic nature of such obligation does not change as a result of extension or transfer of political power. However, the practical wisdom exercised in performing the duty of protecting and promoting human rights must be in harmony with the spirit of the times that led to the inauguration of the new government as well as with the public consciousness. The policy vision of the new government, which has declared 2008 to be the 'first year of advancement,' has significant implications for the Commission.
The establishment of the Commission in 2001 institutionally epitomized the democratization of Korean society. Now, the new spirit of the times, characterized by advancement, attainment of international standards, practicality, and balance, is calling for the firm establishment of human rights as the norm in the public and international realms. The turbulent era where basic human rights were routinely violated or limited is gradually fading into history, and a new era of advancement where those issues are discussed under peaceful, ordinary conditions has emerged. The Commission needs to develop a new maturity as a public servant befitting the new era.
Dear colleagues! The Commission indeed made numerous strides in 2007. It effectively responded to every kind of public complaint against human rights abuses and illegitimate discrimination in various areas of government administration. It ratcheted up its training and publicity efforts to raise public awareness of human rights. It recommended major and minor human rights policies and endeavored to raise the stature of the country and the Commission on the international scene. It submitted before the National Assembly the human rights education bill and discrimination prohibition bill, which it had carefully prepared over a long period of time. The Commission also did a great deal to help spread and inculcate the culture of peaceful demonstration by stressing its balanced position in many cases involving assemblies and demonstrations. It also redoubled its effort to protect various groups of vulnerable people including the disabled and the poor. In close cooperation with the international community, it conducted an in-depth study of the wide-ranging human rights issues in North Korea. In addition, the Commission gave due consideration to the human rights of migrant workers and marriage migrants to help clear hurdles in the country's path towards a multicultural society. Such endeavors were instrumental in helping spread the concept of human rights in the daily lives of the public as universal values.
During the previous year, there was substantial progress in several tasks energetically undertaken by the Commission since its launch. For instance, the government decided to introduce the alternative military service system in line with international trends and at the recommendation by the Commission. Late last year, the government commuted the sentences of six death-row inmates, responding to the recommendation from the Commission to abolish capital punishment.
Dear colleagues! I would like to reiterate what I told you at this place one year ago: “Even if the entire country loses composure amid the heated presidential election, the Commission must faithfully remain devoted to its duty of taking care of the general public." I would like to express my deep gratitude to you for answering the call in every way during the last year.
Spearheading the crusade to pursue the country's advancement in a genuine sense, we have to uphold 'human rights' as a precious value of utmost importance and ensure that the interests of a specific group of people do not hurt other groups.
As a statutory government agency with guaranteed independence, the Commission performs the primary duty of removing stumbling blocks to the government's promotion of citizens' human rights. The Commission will soon recommend new human rights tasks to the new administration. Looking back the achievements made by the Commission so far, we should faithfully undertake the tasks required of this exciting era and thus help build an advanced Korea both in name and reality.
Dear colleagues! I hope the new year brings newly-found delight and happiness in your daily lives at home and workplace.
Thank you.
January 2, 2008
Kyong-Hwan Ahn
Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea was established in 2001 to promote human rights education and defend those who have experienced discrimination, or have had a right violated, in Korea. The Commission offers counseling, full investigation and protection for citizens, along with educational initiatives for organizations.
