The previous year marked a significant period in South Korea’s human rights journey, highlighting a series of events that suggest a regression in the country’s commitment to protecting these rights. Key developments included the potential repeal of the Student Human Rights Ordinance and the constitutional upholding of penalties for homosexuality in the military.

SOCIAL RIGHTS

In Seoul, a political divide intensified over the fate of a key educational rights regulation. The Student Human Rights Ordinance, a decade-old policy enacted in 2012, became the center of a heated debate between conservative and progressive lawmakers. 

The ordinance, designed to protect students,