{"id":2203348,"date":"2024-01-04T16:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T07:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2203348"},"modified":"2024-01-05T14:31:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T05:31:17","slug":"south-korea-faces-human-rights-backslide-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/01\/south-korea-faces-human-rights-backslide-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea faces human rights backslide in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
The previous year marked a significant period in South Korea\u2019s human rights journey, highlighting a series of events that suggest a regression in the country\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n SOCIAL RIGHTS<\/b><\/p>\n In Seoul, a political divide intensified over the fate of a key educational rights regulation. The <\/span>Student Human Rights Ordinance<\/span><\/a>, a decade-old policy enacted in 2012, became the center of a <\/span>heated debate<\/span><\/a> between conservative and progressive lawmakers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The ordinance, designed to protect students, prohibits corporal punishment, discrimination against pregnant or LGBTI students and upholds freedoms related to hairstyle, clothing and religious beliefs. It also allows students to report any breach of these freedoms to a human rights inspector at Seoul\u2019s Education Office.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the ordinance came under intense scrutiny following the <\/span>suicide<\/span><\/a> of an elementary school teacher in July, reportedly due to harassment from students\u2019 parents.<\/span><\/p>\n This tragic event catalyzed a national conversation about the balance of power in educational settings, highlighting concerns over the diminishing authority of teachers and the need to protect them from abusive students and parents.<\/span><\/p>\n In response, the government and ruling party targeted the ordinance, with President Yoon Suk-yeol <\/span>advocating<\/span><\/a> for its amendment, criticizing it as \u201cunreasonable\u201d and harmful to teachers\u2019 rights.<\/span><\/p>\n This push to repeal student rights ordinances has seen a broader impact across South Korea. For instance, the South Choongcheong Provincial Council, which had adopted the ordinance in 2020, <\/span>repealed<\/span><\/a> it in December. In Seoul, a court decision <\/span>temporarily suspended<\/span><\/a> the City Council\u2019s effort to repeal the ordinance after a civic group\u2019s legal intervention, indicating a complex and ongoing dispute.<\/span><\/p>\n The United Nations Human Rights Council joined the discussion in Jan. 2023, <\/span>voicing concerns<\/span><\/a> over the repeal initiatives. It criticized these moves as potential violations of international standards, particularly regarding discrimination against sexual minorities.<\/span><\/p>\n