Korean NGOs brought up Human rights issues of Korea in UN Human Rights Council

On 10th March, after the presentation of UN’s special rapporteur on adequate housing, the Korean delegation orally expressed concerns over the Yongsan eviction tragedy where the deaths of five protestors and one policeman resulted during police crackdown operation on tenants and small business owners who had demanded proper compensation to the Seoul City Government on Yongsan’s redevelopment plan.

The delegation called upon the government of the Republic of Korea to investigate damages caused by forced eviction, to arrange fair compensation and temporary residence, to give proper training to law enforcement officers as well as to invite a UN special rapporteur on adequate housing to Korea to receive advice and measures to improve the current situation. Hereupon, the Korean government exercised its right to reply that protesters occupied an empty building for a sit-in demonstration and endangered citizens. It insisted that the regrettable deaths were caused by protestors and the incident happened in the course of stopping illegal demonstration.

On the same day, the MINBYUN and PSPD jointly organized a parallel event, “The Human Rights Situations in Korea” at room E3025 of the UN Human Rights Council. It was moderated by Michael Anthony from ALRC(Asian Legal Resource Center) and panelists included Norma Kang Muico of Amnesty International, who visited Korea last summer for the investigation, Kim Byeongjoo of MINBYUN and lawyer Oh Jaechang.

The first presentation, given by Norma Kang Muico, focused on the issues of the government’s excessive use of police force, suppression of freedom of assembly and infringement of migrant workers rights. Kim Byeongjoo raised his voice against the problems of suppression of freedom of expression perpetrated by the arrest of the blogger Minerva, human rights violation casees against human rights defenders (doctors, lawyers and human rights activists) in candlelight rallies and the announcement of reducing the budget and employees of the National Human Rights Commission. The status of conscientious military service objection in Korea was presented by Oh Jaechang and he also pointed out that the UN considers imprisonment of conscientious objectors as arbitrary detention.