{"id":2205890,"date":"2024-07-23T12:51:50","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T03:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205890"},"modified":"2024-07-24T17:26:31","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T08:26:31","slug":"how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/","title":{"rendered":"How a leadership crisis is undermining South Korea\u2019s human rights watchdog"},"content":{"rendered":"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) faces a credibility crisis as chairperson Song Doo-hwan\u2019s term <\/span>nears its end in September<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerns have arisen about the potential appointment of an unfit successor, with the two incumbent NHRCK commissioners, Lee Choong-sang and Kim Yong-won, at the center of controversy due to their recent actions undermining the principles they are meant to uphold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee drew widespread criticism for stating that \u201c<\/span>gays wear diapers<\/span><\/a>\u201d due to their sexual practices, which led to extensive media coverage. In response, he launched an unsuccessful <\/span>lawsuit against journalists<\/span><\/a> for characterizing his comments as hate speech. He also <\/span>reportedly implied<\/span><\/a> that victims of the <\/span>Itaewon crowd crush<\/span><\/a> bore responsibility for the tragedy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kim has faced criticism for referring to human rights organizations as \u201c<\/span>human rights peddlers<\/span><\/a>,\u201d filing police reports against families who lost loved ones in military service, launching a defamation lawsuit against a <\/span>human rights organization<\/span><\/a> and allegedly creating a hostile work environment within the commission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, local NGOs expressed shock when both commissioners reportedly played a role in removing key recommendations from reports submitted to U.N. bodies. These recommendations included calls for comprehensive <\/span>anti-discrimination legislation<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>abolition of a law<\/span><\/a> criminalizing same-sex relationships in the South Korean military.<\/span><\/p>\n

Multiple NHRCK sources told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that internal turmoil has engulfed the organization, with staff members taking sick leave and seeking psychiatric treatment due to intimidation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statements from the NHRCK\u2019s labor union, reviewed by <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>, point to a breakdown in the relationship between staff and the two commissioners, marked by inappropriate conduct, loud disputes and a lack of respectful and constructive dialogue during meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

These controversies highlight two main issues: NHRCK commissioners, including the chairperson, are essentially political appointees, which allows potentially unfit individuals to be selected, and the commission lacks autonomy from government influence, turning it into a political battleground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amnesty International Korea, which has monitored the NHRCK <\/span>since 2010<\/span><\/a>, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that it expressed \u201cdeep concern\u201d over the recent remarks and behavior \u201cof certain members\u201d and other \u201congoing irregularities.\u201d The organization stated that these issues \u201ccompromise the committee\u2019s independence, credibility and authority.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

NHRC chairman Song Doo-hwan attends the UN Open-ended Working Group on Aging (OEWGA) meeting held in New York, May 20, 2024 | Image: National Human Rights Commission of Korea<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

NHRCK\u2019S ROLE<\/b><\/p>\n

Established in 2001, the NHRCK serves as South Korea’s official human rights institution. Its <\/span>main duties<\/span><\/a> include investigating human rights violations and discriminatory acts, advising government bodies and public institutions and promoting human rights education.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the NHRCK cannot enforce penalties, it can issue non-binding recommendations and opinions to government agencies, private entities or individuals to rectify human rights violations. In cases involving suspected criminal acts, the commission can refer matters to the prosecution or other investigative bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

These recommendations, while largely symbolic, play a crucial role in addressing discrimination and rights abuses, particularly for minority groups, given that South Korea still lacks clear <\/span>anti-discrimination legislation<\/span><\/a>. Notably, the National Human Rights Commission Act, which governs the commission\u2019s operations, is the only law that <\/span>explicitly mentions<\/span><\/a> protection for sexual minorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

As one of the largest human rights institutions in one of Asia’s most democratic nations, the NHRCK serves as a model, contributing to global human rights discussions and setting regional standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the commission\u2019s effectiveness largely depends on its <\/span>moral authority<\/span><\/a> and public trust, making the current controversies particularly concerning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Seoul queer pride parade attendees present the LGBTQ flag while counter-protesters hold up a sign telling LGBTQ members to repent for their sins, July 1, 2023 | Image: Seoul Queer Culture Festival<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

FLAWED APPOINTMENT PROCESS<\/b><\/p>\n

The NHRCK’s crisis stems from its flawed appointment process and external pressures, resulting in a lack of autonomy. The National Assembly, the president and the chief justice of the Supreme Court <\/span>select<\/span><\/a> the organization\u2019s leaders, allowing political considerations to take priority over human rights expertise, a problem that has persisted across administrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The appointments of Lee Choong-sang and Kim Young-won exemplify this issue. Lee, <\/span>nominated by<\/span><\/a> the conservative People Power Party, and Kim, <\/span>appointed by President Yoon Suk-yeol<\/span><\/a>, have made headlines for actions that contradict the NHRCK’s mission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee’s inflammatory \u201cgays wear diapers\u201d comment reportedly led the NHRCK to take the unprecedented step of <\/span>issuing a statement of opinion<\/span><\/a> to itself to address hate speech within the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mary Lawlor, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, reportedly <\/span>sent a letter<\/span><\/a> to the South Korean government recently expressing concern about Kim\u2019s alleged repression of human rights activists.<\/span><\/p>\n

This pattern of questionable autonomy is not new. Under the Lee Myung-bak administration, an <\/span>attempt to place<\/span><\/a> the NHRCK under presidential control led to international criticism.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lee administration <\/span>restructured<\/span><\/a> the organization, leading to the dismissal of 44 staff members<\/span> and the resignation<\/span><\/a> of then-chairperson Ahn Kyung-whan. Critics pointed out that Ahn\u2019s successor, Hyun Byung-chul, was <\/span>too close to the government<\/span><\/a> and did not come from a <\/span>human rights<\/span><\/a> background.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, the Park Geun-hye administration <\/span>appointed<\/span><\/a> a homophobic pastor as a non-standing commissioner. In 2013, the U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders <\/span>expressed concern<\/span><\/a> about the NHRCK’s independence and its strained relationship with certain groups of activists.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rapporteur also cited a 2010 incident where a disability rights protester <\/span>died of pneumonia two weeks<\/span><\/a> after a sit-in protest at the commission’s premises, during which heating was allegedly cut off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Political influence has also manifested in budget decisions. Under the Moon Jae-in administration, the NHRCK’s annual budget for North Korean human rights issues <\/span>decreased<\/span><\/a> from about $242,000 (334 million won) in 2016 to about $109,000 (151 million won) in 2022 \u2014 the lowest in a decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NHRCK\u2019s challenges are compounded by the controversial process of selecting the chairperson\u2019s successor. The presidential office has <\/span>formed<\/span><\/a> a seven-member recommendation committee to review the candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the committee\u2019s lack of transparency has drawn criticism, as the identities of both committee members and candidates remain undisclosed to the public. Kim Yong-won, who claims to have been rejected as a candidate, has <\/span>publicly criticized<\/span><\/a> the process as secretive and lacking proper oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

An anti-LGBTQ protester holds up a protest sign, June 1, 2024 | Image: Raphael Rashid<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

RESTORING CREDIBILITY<\/b><\/p>\n

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which assesses national human rights institutions’ compliance with the <\/span>Paris Principles<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a set of international standards that outline the minimum requirements for national human rights institutions to be considered credible and effective \u2014 has previously raised concerns about the NHRCK’s lack of autonomy.<\/span><\/p>\n

During its <\/span>last accreditation review<\/span><\/a>, GANHRI highlighted issues with the NHRCK’s appointment process and its functional autonomy from the government, stressing the need for a more transparent and merit-based selection process that ensures pluralism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is imperative that all members, including the next chairperson, are chosen through a fair and <\/span>transparent process<\/span><\/a> to ensure they possess the necessary qualifications to effectively fulfill their duties,\u201d Chaewon Park, director of Amnesty International Korea, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth the government and the NHRCK must adhere to international human rights standards, specifically the Paris Principles, as well as the National Human Rights Commission Act,\u201d Park said, adding that they must \u201ctake all necessary measures to guarantee the NHRCK’s independence, reliability and efficiency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of who becomes the next chairperson, significant reforms addressing the appointment process and the commission’s operational autonomy from government influence will be crucial for the NHRCK to reclaim its role as a champion of human rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without such changes, the commission risks further erosion of its integrity, compromising its effectiveness domestically and internationally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) faces a credibility crisis as chairperson Song Doo-hwan\u2019s term nears its end in September. Concerns have arisen about the potential appointment of an unfit successor, with the two incumbent NHRCK commissioners, Lee Choong-sang and Kim Yong-won, at the center of controversy due to their recent actions undermining […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2205891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25,27],"class_list":["post-2205890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-culture-society","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nHow a leadership crisis is undermining South Korea\u2019s human rights watchdog - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How a leadership crisis is undermining South Korea\u2019s human rights watchdog - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) faces a credibility crisis as chairperson Song Doo-hwan\u2019s term nears its end in September. Concerns have arisen about the potential appointment of an unfit successor, with the two incumbent NHRCK commissioners, Lee Choong-sang and Kim Yong-won, at the center of controversy due to their recent actions undermining […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nknewsorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-23T03:51:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-24T08:26:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/07\/feature-10.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1870\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"johnleenknews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@southkoreapro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@southkoreapro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Raphael Rashid\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"johnleenknews\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/person\/b9766dba611638edc06a6e0b7078714d\"},\"headline\":\"How a leadership crisis is undermining South Korea\u2019s human rights watchdog\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-23T03:51:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-24T08:26:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\"},\"wordCount\":1288,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.korearisk.com\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/07\/feature-10.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Culture & Society\",\"Domestic Politics\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Analysis\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/how-a-leadership-crisis-is-undermining-south-koreas-human-rights-watchdog\/\",\"name\":\"How a leadership crisis is undermining South Korea\u2019s human rights watchdog - 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