In the morning of January 21, 2008, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) expressed an opinion on 10 major human rights tasks to be taken up by the next government (hereinafter “10 major tasks”) and delivered its discussion results to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 17th president. In December 2002, the NHRCK selected 10 major human rights tasks and delivered them to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 16th president. The 10 major tasks are the result of four months' in-depth discussions. They represent outstanding human rights issues in Korean society on which the next government must act.
▣ Developments Leading to Selection of 10 Major Tasks
On September 6, 2007, the NHRCK decided to deliver major human rights tasks to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 17th president. After several rounds of discussions, it finally chose 10 major tasks in its plenary meeting on January 14, 2008.
- On September 6, 2007, the 36th standing commissioners' meeting of the NHRCK decided to submit major human rights tasks to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 17th president in accordance with the precedent in which it delivered major human rights tasks to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 16th president.
- The NHRCK organized a task force team, examined the human rights status of Korean society, and drafted major human rights tasks.
- On November 27, 2007, major human rights tasks were discussed by and among NHRCK commissioners in a major officers' workshop.
- On December 6, 2007, a discussion was held in an NHRCK standing commissioners' meeting.
- On December 17, 2007, a discussion was held in a plenary meeting of the NHRCK.
- On January 14, 2008, the NHRCK made a resolution in its plenary meeting.
- On January 21, 2008, the NHRCK expressed an opinion to the Presidential Transition Committee for the 17th president.
▣ Background of the Proposed 10 Major Tasks
Rights to freedom and social rights have been steadily improved in the Republic of Korea as a result of democratization and economic development. However, its human rights conditions are still below those of countries of comparable economic size.
Regarding rights to freedom, the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the country is a state party, has consistently requested the country to take actions to bring systems into line with international standards, including overhaul of the National Security Act, guarantee of peaceful assemblies and demonstrations, and reduction of the scope of crimes punishable by the death penalty. Concerning civil rights, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which the Republic of Korea is a state party, has recommended to that the nation rectify such issues as social bipolarization, job insecurity of the vulnerable classes in the labor market including non-regular workers, and discrimination against people with disabilities, children, the elderly and migrant foreigners.
The Commission scrutinized various human rights issues in Korean society from the perspective of advancement that the next government aims for. As a result, it determined that the most important thing would be to guarantee human dignity and value for all members of Korean society: i.e. to prevent unreasonable discrimination and human rights violations. The NHRCK selected the 10 major tasks, which can make a substantive contribution to protecting the socially vulnerable and underprivileged, and expressed its opinion to the Presidential Transition Committee. The NHRCK expects that the Presidential Transition Committee will proactively consider the Commission’s opinion in the process of discussing the major policies of the next government.
▣ 10 Major Tasks for the Next Government
1. To guarantee humane life for the poor and increase opportunities for them to move out of poverty;
2. To promote job security for the vulnerable classes in the labor market including non-regular workers and rectify discrimination against them;
3. To guarantee the human rights of children, teenagers, women, and the elderly;
4. To protect the human rights of migrant foreigners and step up efforts to redress discrimination against them;
5. To protect the human rights of social minorities including the disabled and increase efforts to redress discrimination against them;
6. To reinforce protection of human rights for people living in social welfare facilities;
7. To promote protection of human rights for the North Korean people, North Korean defectors, and Koreans and foreigners living abroad;
8. To improve the human rights conditions with regard to rights to freedom in order to meet international standards;
9. To protect personal information and bridge the information gap of the vulnerable social classes; and
10. To build a foundation for effective improvement of human rights conditions.
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.
