- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Mar 15, 2023
- Event Description
On 15 March 2023, Namdaemum Police Station requested the Seoul Central District Court to issue an arrest warrant against Mr. Park Kyeong-Seok, a 63‑year-old representative of the SADD and leader in the disability rights movement in the Republic of Korea. The police claimed that the arrest warrant was to be issued due to Mr. Park’s alleged “illegal activities” during the subway-taking campaign. The police claim that he had breached the Assembly and Demonstration Act, the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, the Road Traffic Act and the Railway Safety Act, and had caused disruption to business and traffic.
The police stated that the arrest warrant had been requested as Mr. Park had not responded to 18 requests to appear for questioning. Mr. Park had declined these requests due to the lack of accessibility at most police stations in Seoul. Mr. Park and SADD stated that he would comply with the requests for questioning if the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced a plan for assessing and complying with the Act on the Guarantee of Convenience, Promotion of Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers. The police refused on the grounds that they claim SADD is not legally registered to the Ministry of Welfare and is not registered as an organization that can carry out accessibility inspections on premises. On 16 March 2023, the Seoul Central District Court issued the requested arrest warrant.
On 17 March 2023, SADD held a press conference in front of the Civil Service Office of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. At the press conference, Mr. Park said that the disability rights defenders who are participating in the subway taking campaign are not doing anything illegal. He continued by referring to the legal guarantees contained in the Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other national disability rights laws. After the press conference, the police arrested Mr. Park for the purposes of a 48-hour investigation and took him to Namdaemun Police Station.
On 18 March 2023, Mr. Park was urgently transferred to hospital due to worsening pressure sores while in investigative detention. After receiving brief treatment, he was returned to Namdaemun Police Station. The same day at around 8:15 p.m., Mr. Park was released. No charges have officially been filed against Mr. Park to date. He continues to be under police surveillance.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- South Korea: hundreds of disability rights defenders prevented from protesting, many detained, South Korea: NGO staff and disability rights defenders prevented from holding a protest
- Date added
- Jul 17, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jan 20, 2023
- Event Description
On 20 January 2023, to commemorate the death anniversary of the two older persons with disabilities who had died in 2001, SADD and over 300 disability rights defenders undertook their subway-taking campaign at Oido Station, Seoul Station and Samgakji Station on line four of the Seoul subway system. Hundreds of police officers and dozens of Seoul Metro employees were posted at each of these stations to prevent the disability rights defenders from boarding the subways and holding their peaceful protest. In the course of blocking the protesters from undertaking their protest, the police officers held them in the three stations for three hours. The Seoul Metro again obstructed the protest by having subway trains pass through these stations without stopping and made similar announcements in the subway stations concerning the protests as on 2 and 3 January 2023. After three hours, the protesters at other stations were allowed to board the subway to travel to Samgakji subway station where a press conference was planned to take place, but under the condition that protesters handed to the police their flyers and speaker equipment. After five hours, SADD informed the police that it had ended its actions for the day.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- South Korea: NGO staff and disability rights defenders prohibited from holding a protest
- Date added
- Jul 17, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jan 2, 2023
- Event Description
On 2 January 2023 at 8:00 a.m., approximately 250 disability and human rights defenders, including members of SADD, attempted to ride the subway at the Samgakji subway station in Seoul, near the office of the President of the Republic of Korea. The protesters planned to use the demonstration to call for sufficient budget allocation to address disability rights. However, on this day approximately 600 police officers from 10 units had been deployed to the Samgakji station to prevent the defenders from boarding the subway and from peacefully protesting. The police formed a human barrier to prevent the protesters from boarding, and reportedly contained and isolated the protesters for 14 hours in Samgakji station. Police officers also refused to unfold the “mobile safety footplates,” portable wheelchair ramps intended to assist users, including wheelchair users, in boarding subways given the gap between trains and platforms, hence blocking the protesters from boarding the subway train.
Access to the elevators at the station was also reportedly blocked, with a sign stating the elevators were “out of order.” The wheelchair accessible entrance door to the subway platform was also closed with a sign stating “Out of order. Under maintenance.” It is reported however that there is no record of the elevators or door being out of order. Police also reportedly used disproportionate force towards the protesters, including by violently pushing and knocking over protesters, and damaging electronic components of protesters’ wheelchairs. The actions of the police reportedly caused injuries to protesters, including bruising, abrasions, a mild concussion and a fractured finger bone. Police also kept using a loudspeaker every 20 seconds to warn the protesters to “stop the illegal demonstration” each time they tried to voice their concerns during the demonstration, holding the megaphone close to the face of protesters.
The Seoul Metro also obstructed the protest by having 13 subway trains pass through the Samgakji station without stopping. The corporation also sent out 4 text messages under its “disaster safety” system to all citizens of Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon areas stating “Subway line number 4 heading to Danggogae station are passing the Samgakji station without stopping due to SADD’s illegal subway-taking protests.” The disaster safety text message system is usually reserved for emergency situations such as extreme weather events, public health emergencies or other urgent and life-threatening situations. Seoul Metro also broadcasted a similar message in most subway stations in Seoul every five minutes over their public announcement system.
On the same day, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station held a press briefing to announce it had been investigating 29 disability and human rights defenders who participated in protests since January 2021 and sent 24 investigations to the Prosecution Office upon completion of investigations. It is reported that the allegations concern traffic obstruction and interference with business. The cases were reportedly sent to the Public Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, a department that usually is dedicated to national security matters, while there is another department for legal matters arising from transportation or railway related events.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 17, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Mar 28, 2023
- Event Description
The government of the Republic of Korea charged Jang Jin-young under Article 17(1) of the Passport Act (Restriction on the Use of Passports) on April 14, 2022, which gives power to the government to “stop visiting or staying in a specific country or region only in countries where war has occurred”. On March 28, 2023, Jin-young was fined KRW 5 million (approx. EUR 3,500) for his coverage of the Ukraine war, where he reported without permission or designation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the beginning of the war in 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocated a select number of journalists in a ‘permit system’ to travel to Ukraine for a limited number of days. Jin-young, a freelance photojournalist, flew to Poland on March 5, 2022, concerned that the limits would restrict the quality and quantity of news coverage on the conflict from Korean media. His work was since picked up by various local outlets including SisaIN and Workers.
Although Jin-young defied the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the legislation under the Passport Act, the People’s Coalition for Media Reform has found Article 17(1) of the Act, the law under which Jing-young was charged, violates Article 21(2) of the South Korean Constitution, which “bans any permit system for press or publication”. As a result, the Coalition will contest the charges and the fine in the Constitutional Court of South Korea.
The Passport Act came into effect in August 2007 and has since blocked reporters from engaging in coverage in conflict zones globally. Korean journalists are also banned from reporting without a government permit in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Libya. The Republic of Korea is the only country in the world to have a ‘permit system’ for reporting in conflict areas.
The JAK said: “We empathise with the potential risks that Korea’s passport law poses to press freedom. We support and endorse the actions of the People’s Coalition for Media Reform and stand together with them.”
The IFJ said: “The use of the Passport Act, which allegedly violates the constitution of the Republic of Korea, has restricted local reporters’ right to travel to conflict areas to conduct their work, with South Korean citizens forced to rely on foreign coverage of war and conflict. The IFJ stands with the JAK in supporting the People’s Coalition for Media Reform and its appeal of Jin-young's unfound criminal charges.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 11, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jun 15, 2022
- Event Description
The Seoul Metropolitan Government conditionally approved the report on the use of Seoul Plaza for the Queer Parade. It is only open for one day, but conditions such as excessive exposure of the body are restricted. The organizers of the event argue that conditional approval itself is discrimination against LGBTI people. The Citizens' Committee for Open Plaza Operation (hereinafter referred to as the 'Square Management Committee') announced on the 15th that the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the 'Organizing Committee') will hold the event on the 12th-17th of next month. After deliberation of the report that the queer parade would be held at Seoul Plaza on the 16th, it was decided to allow the use of Seoul Plaza for only one day during the reporting period, on the 16th of next month. In addition, conditions were added to limit excessive exposure of the body and display and sale of pornography. Lee Gye-yeol, head of the general affairs department of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “Considering the purpose of creating Seoul Plaza, which is the healthy use of leisure and cultural activities, and the fact that there is a strong public opinion for and against the event, there was a consensus that a specific group cannot be allowed to occupy the plaza for six days.”
Seoul Plaza operates through a reporting system. However, after listening to the opinion of the plaza management committee, there was an exception rule that does not have to accept the report as it is. According to the ordinance on the use and management of Seoul Plaza, 'if the purpose of the plaza is violated or use is restricted under other laws, etc.' In case of overlap, etc., the Seoul Metropolitan Government was able to present an agenda to the plaza operation committee.
The fact that the report on the use of the Queer Parade Seoul Plaza was handed over to the Plaza Management Committee means that the Seoul Metropolitan Government has determined that the use of the plaza is in violation of the purpose of the plaza or restricted in accordance with other laws and regulations. The purpose of Seoul Plaza is to ‘wholesome use of leisure, cultural activities, public interest events, assemblies and demonstrations, etc.’
On the other hand, those who support the queer parade see it as a healthy and public interest event that exposes the existence of sexual minorities and expands their rights. This means that it is regarded as an event that meets the purpose of creating a plaza. Yang Seon-woo, chairman of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee, argued in a phone call with the <Hankyoreh>, “Seoul Plaza operates under a reporting system, but giving conditional permission itself is discrimination.”
From 2016 to 2019, the Seoul Metropolitan Government had submitted reports on the use of the Queer Parade Seoul Plaza as an agenda for the Plaza Management Committee. After the Queer Parade was held in Seoul Plaza for the first time in 2015, public opinion against the event arose, and the city handed over the decision-making authority and burden to the committee instead of directly accepting reports of use. The Seoul Metropolitan Government explains that from 2016 to 2019, when the Organizing Committee reported the use of 1 to 6 days, it allowed 1 to 3 days every year. This decision is not an unusual one. In 2020 and last year, the event was not held at Seoul Plaza due to the spread of Corona 19.
However, the Human Rights Commission of Seoul has judged that there is a problem with this kind of administration in Seoul. In September 2019, the Human Rights Commission of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, regarding the submission of the Plaza Steering Committee’s agenda, said, “Delaying the process due to an unfair delay (without notifying whether or not it was repaired within 48 hours) is a discriminatory measure against LGBTI people,” and provided guidance and guidance to prevent recurrence. recommended the director.
Meanwhile, the plaza steering committee consists of a total of 10 members, including lawyers, professors, architects, civil society activists, Seoul city councilors, and Seoul city officials. On this day, two city councilors were absent.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- LGBTQ+/ Non-Binary, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, SOGI rights
- HRD
- SOGI rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Feb 7, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jan 31, 2023
- Event Description
Seoul Metro, the operator of the subway system in Seoul, has filed a damages suit against a disability rights advocacy group over its subway-riding protests, city officials said Tuesday.
The city-run company filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court on Friday seeking damages of 601.45 million won ($484,000) for train delays and other losses caused by 75 illegal protests staged by the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) since Dec. 3, 2021, they said.
The group staged subway-riding protests at major stations in central Seoul, demanding an increased government budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Wheelchair-bound activists have repeatedly boarded and disembarked trains disrupting metro services during the morning rush hour.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon late last month declared a zero-tolerance policy against their protests, warning of stern legal actions.
In late 2021, Seoul Metro filed a lawsuit against SADD, claiming 30 million won in compensation.
Last month, the Seoul Central District Court issued a mediation, calling for Seoul Metro to install more elevators at subway stations and SADD to stop protests. The court ruled SADD must pay Seoul Metro 5 million won for every five-minute delay in subway operations in the future.
The group accepted the compromise, but Seoul Metro and the city government rejected it.
SADD resumed the protests last month, and the company early last week warned of an additional lawsuit.
Last Wednesday, the group said it will suspend protests until Jan. 19 and demanded a meeting with Mayor Oh.
Oh accepted the offer, but the two sides have yet to agree on the details of the proposed meeting.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 31, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jan 3, 2023
- Event Description
Subway workers blocked a group of disability rights activists from staging a subway protest during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, a day after authorities used force for the first time to deter their yearlong protest.
Since late last year, the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) has staged subway-riding protests at major stations in central Seoul on and off, demanding an increased government budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including mobility rights.
Wheelchair-bound activists have repeatedly boarded and disembarked trains to cause delays in metro services during the morning rush hour, drawing complaints from commuters.
In their latest protest on Tuesday, about 20 SADD members boarded a subway train on Line 4 at Sungshin Women's University Station at around 8 a.m. and got off at Dongdaemun History Culture Park Station.Immediately after disembarking, the activists tried to get back on the same train, but Seoul Metro workers blocked their entry, sparking protests from the activists.
"Let us get on the subway. Disabled people are citizens as well," they chanted.
The confrontation followed a 13-hour shoving match between activists and authorities at Samgakji Station on Line 4 on Monday.
Up to 640 riot police personnel were mobilized to block dozens of SADD activists from boarding a subway train from the morning through the night on Monday, the first time physical force was used to counter the subway protest in earnest.
Seoul Metro had 13 subway trains pass through Samgakji Station without stopping during the 13-hour confrontation, citing the railway safety act that prohibits rowdiness at train stations and facilities.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jan 30, 2023
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- May 11, 2020
- Event Description
권영진 대구시장이 자신을 비판하는 논평을 낸 대구MBC 앵커를 명예훼손과 모욕 혐의로 고소했다.
대구MBC 라디오 ‘뉴스대행진’ 진행자인 이태우 기자는 11일 페이스북을 통해 권 시장에게 고소를 당했다고 밝혔다.
이 기자는 “권 시장이 몸소 나를 고소했다. 방송 클로징 멘트를 문제 삼았다”며 고소장을 공개했다. 이번 고소는 대구시와는 무관하다. 권 시장이 개인 차원에서 이 기자를 고소한 것이다.
권 시장은 지난달 7일 방송된 내용을 문제 삼았다. 이 기자는 이날 방송에서 권 시장이 발표한 대시민 담화문을 언급하며 “12일 만에 코빼기를 내민 권영진 대구시장이 전국적인 대유행을 대구에서 막았다고 자화자찬했다”고 논평했다.
이어 “대한민국 어디에도 없던 대유행을 대구만 겪은 거라고 저는 생각한다”며 “초기 대응이 성공적이었다는 대구시 평가보다는 실패한 늑장 대처 때문에 대구만 역병이 창궐했다는 말에 고개가 끄덕여진다. 실신했다던 대구시장 목소리는 너무 힘에 찼고 혈기는 왕성했다”고 덧붙였다.
앞서 권 시장은 언론중재위에 대구MBC의 정정·반론 보도를 요구했다. 대구시는 ‘12일 만에 코빼기를 내민 권영진 대구시장’과 ‘실패한 늑장 대처 때문에 대구만 역병이 창궐했다’는 표현을 문제 삼았다.
대구시는 “권 시장이 지난 3월 26일 과로로 쓰러진 후 5일 만인 3월 31일 저녁에 코로나19 종합점검회의 주재를 시작으로 업무에 복귀했다”는 입장이다.
‘실패한 늑장 대처 때문에 대구만 역병이 창궐했다’는 지적에 대해선 “질병관리본부에서도 대구지역 코로나19 대규모 확산의 원인은 신천지 대구교회의 집단 감염이라고 밝혔다”며 대구시의 대처 때문에 감염이 확산된 것이 아니라고 주장했다.
언론중재위는 대구시가 제기한 정정·반론 보도 신청에 대해 ‘조정 불성립’ 결정을 내린 상태다. 조정 불성립은 당사자 간 합의 불능 등 조정에 적합하지 아니한 현저한 사유가 인정될 때 내려지는 결정이다.
최민우 기자 [email protected]
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Aug 21, 2020
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jun 13, 2013
- Event Description
The union leader of Ssangyong Motor Co. has been detained pending trial on charges of interfering with officials' attempt to dismantle protest tents in central Seoul earlier this week, court officials said Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court approved the police request for an arrest warrant for Kim Jeong-woo, who leads Ssangyong's labor union affiliated with the Korea Metal Workers' Union, they said. Former employees of the country's smallest automaker and civic activists set up three tents along the sidewalk in front of Deoksu Palace, across from Seoul City Hall, in central Seoul last year in protest against the company's mass layoff in 2009. After the union members refused to voluntary withdraw, the Jung-gu ward office under the Seoul Metropolitan Government forcibly removed the tents in April. The court at the time dismissed the police request for the arrest warrant for Kim, citing a lack of justification for his detention. The union, however, again set up other temporary tents on the site, prompting the ward office to mobilize some 50 officials to forcibly dismantle the tents on Monday. The local government said the crackdown on illegal facilities in the region is their right as well as duty. Kim has been detained on suspicion of the obstruction of justice and violating the law on assembly and demonstration. "There is a need to detain (Kim) as he had committed a similar crime during the period of probation," Judge Cheon Hyoo-jae said. As the court accepted the request for a formal arrest warrant, Kim will undergo an investigation under physical detention. UPDATE 02/04/14: Kim is freed on bail
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Right to Protest, Right to work
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jun 10, 2014
- Event Description
Miryang city government and the police on Wednesday forcibly removed three camps of locals engaged in a prolonged protest against the construction of a high voltage power line in the area. A total of five tower construction sites had been occupied by protesters, and the Miryang authorities plan to clear the remaining two within the day. At about 6 a.m. Tuesday, officials from the South Gyeongsang Province city began taking down the protesters' makeshift abodes with the support of about 2,000 police personnel. The protesters had been ordered to withdraw by June 2. The city officials and police were met with strong resistance from the protesters, who responded by throwing manure and physically resisting the officials. According to reports, a number of Miryang residents and a nun supporting their cause were injured and taken to hospital. In addition, a protester identified by the surname Bae was taking into custody for interfering with public officials. Korea Electric Power Corp. is reported to be placing fences around the area to prevent protesters from reoccupying the towers' construction sites. The project was approved by the government in November 2007 to link the Shin-Kori nuclear power plant in Ulsan to a substation in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, through a 765-kilovolt transmission line across 90.5 kilometers with 161 towers. The locals have protested the project since the beginning, and two have committed suicide to further their cause. Of the 161 towers, 109 have been completed while construction on five has been delayed. Of the total, 52 towers are located in the Miryang area. Since work was resumed in October, 47 towers have been completed.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Oct 7, 2013
- Event Description
Miryang is located at the southeast part of the Republic of Korea and close to Busan which is the second largest city in the country. Nuclear plant is being constructed in Busan and to transmit electricity to Seoul, 69 transmission towers are decided to be constructed in 5 villages of Miryang. Villagers have protested against the construction for eight years to protect their land and environment. On 30 September 2013, the Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO) reopened the transmission tower construction in Miryang after 126 days of suspension without proper consultation with villagers. As a result, human rights violations against environmental defenders and villagers have continuously reported since 30 September 2013. As of 7 October 2013, 11 human rights defenders were arrested during their protest against the construction of Miryang 765kV Power Transmission Tower. Arrest warrants were requested for four human rights defenders, three were denied and one was issued. Ongoing human rights violations have been documented. It is very difficult to bring food and clothes to the protest site since the police block the road and control access to the protest sites. Human rights defenders including villagers are isolated at the protest sites and it is also hard to document human rights violations. Human rights activists organized Human Rights Monitoring Team and are visiting the protest site in turn, documenting human rights violations on site. Every day, Human Rights Monitoring Team releases a brief report on human rights violations in Miryang. Below report is based on the report from Human Rights Monitoring Team. 1. Overall Situation of Human Rights in Miryang 1) Controlling Access to the protest site The police insist that they prioritize safety and human rights of villagers. However, the police control access to the protest sites which make villagers go around steep mountains to enter the protest sites, take away protest tent where villagers could stay warm during protest and do not allow bringing minimum basic staples to protest sites. When human rights defenders asked reasons of controlling access, the police replied "it is a national project and it is for villagers' safety". The police say that they prepared ambulance to prevent possible injuries but this cannot be a way to protect human rights violations. Also, medical personnel cannot enter the protest site even though they show their ID to the police. As the police mentioned, ambulance is staying at the protest site but they are provided by the KEPCO, and villagers refuse to receive medical treatment from the KEPCO. While villagers insist to get medical check-up by a "reliable" medical personnel, their request has been refused by the police. Since most villagers are in their 70~80s, it is very dangerous staying under the sun for a long time, staying overnight in the mountain under cold temperature, and climbing steep mountains every day. On 4 October 2013, lawyers, Human Rights Monitoring Team and some villagers visited a protest site near the construction site of the transmission tower No. 109 to deliver necessary staples for protest but could not enter the site because of the police. They requested the police to deliver staples on behalf of them and gave it to the police (including plastic screen to cover rain, heating pad, rain coat, tissue, first aid, blanket etc). The police said that they provided tent to avoid sun and water to villagers but did not allow visitors to enter the protest site, so monitoring team could not verify the fact. Even when the basic staples are delivered to the protest site, it is under the strict control by the police. For example, basic staples can be only delivered by the police in some protest sites. After the police took protest tent, villagers could avoid wind under one plastic sheet. 2) The Police illegally take photos of human rights defenders The Police take photos of environmental defenders during protest and even when they are having a rest. According to the Supreme Court's decision in 1999, collecting photos without warrant is "exceptionally' allowed only when urgency and necessity of collecting information is existing on site and only when the crime is currently committed. Therefore, taking photos of human rights defenders regardless the situation is illegal. Environmental defenders including villagers complained about this illegal photo taking by the police but the police continue to do so which intensified tension at the protest sites. Whenever human rights defenders request the police to reveal their identity, they do not reply and continue to take photos of human rights defenders. Most police officers covered their face with masks while taking photos or wear plain costume. The police taking photos of protesters. 3) Excessive use of force by the Police According to the testimony by villagers, the police show different attitude depends on the presence of media and visitors from outside. The police even called old villagers "commis". When the protesters tried to start a fire for heating, the police threaten them to arrest and saying it is a violation of the Forest Law, and used fire extinguisher on villagers' gas burner and food. On 3 October 2013, some catholic nuns visited the protest sites with food, to stand in solidarity with villagers. However, city council officers and the police who tried to enforce administrative vicarious execution untangled catholic nuns' hood and punched their chest. When this story is covered by the media, the police asked for ID of the catholic nun and argued that it was the police who were hit at that incident. Old female villagers dig a hole under the ground, making noose above the hole and staying in there as a way of protest. A woman sitting in front with a vest is a member of Human Rights Monitoring Team. 2. Alleged Perpetrators - The Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO) - The National Police Agency - The Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy: The Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy establishes overall energy plan in the Republic of Korea. Therefore, they are responsible for estimating energy demands, deciding construction of energy plants and planning construction of transmission tower. The KEPCO is an implementing body of decisions made by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy. 3. Requests of Miryang Villagers and Civil Society Organisations - Immediately release all arrested human rights defenders - All basic staples including tent, sleeping bags, heating equipment, food, water should be delivered to villagers at the protest sites without being controlled by the police - Reliable medical personnel should be able to have a free access to the protest sites. - Immediately stop construction of 765kV Miryang Transmission Towers and start genuine dialogue with villagers. - Establish a committee for social dialogue to fully discuss validity of the construction and hold a TV debate for a public discussion.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Nov 13, 2018
- Event Description
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) were arrested by the police Tuesday after illegally occupying the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office building in southern Seoul. The KCTU members occupied the building to demand that prosecutors conduct an investigation into Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors over allegations that they illegally dispatched contract workers and are refusing to transition contract workers to permanent positions. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested six of the nine members who refused to leave the building and took them into custody for investigation. It released them at around midnight. A total of nine high-ranking KCTU officials participated in Tuesday's protest, including Lee Byeong-hoon, the KCTU head at Hyundai Motor, and Kim Su-eok, the union's leader at Kia Motors. The sit-in they staged at the lobby of the building lasted for eight hours before they were removed by the police. During the sit-in, around 130 KCTU members assembled outside the building and staged their own protest, demanding that police look into the allegations against Hyundai and Kia. "Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and GM Korea are all currently illegally dispatching contract workers while also refusing to upgrade these same workers to the permanent payroll," said Lee. "We demand an investigation into these illegal labor practices and time to talk with Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il about the situation." Some members of the sit-in also held signs that demanded the Asahi Glass Corporation comply with a 2017 court order that contract workers be upgraded to permanent positions. Others held signs that called for the arrest of Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo and Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun. The KCTU has focused on demonstrations at government agencies this week. On Wednesday, the KCTU staged a sit-in in front of the Blue House, demanding that the government abolish contract positions. GM Korea's labor union also staged a sit-in at Rep. Hong Young-pyo's office in Bupyeong, Incheon on Tuesday over the company's plan to spin off its R&D wing. Hong, the floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party, condemned the union, saying, "staging a sit-in like this is considered terror in the United States." "We have always adopted a violent means of protest," said the GM Korea labor union members in response. This is not the first time that a GM Korea labor union illegally occupied governmental facilities. GM Korea's contract workers union staged a second sit-in at the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Changwon office on Monday to protest the fact that the automaker did not follow the ministry's guidelines and directly hire all the 774 contract workers at GM Korea's factories in Changwon.
- Impact of Event
- 9
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- May 31, 2017
- Event Description
On 10 December 2015 he was arrested in Seoul, and charged with, amongst other things, violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act and General Obstruction of Traffic (Article 185 of the Criminal Code). These charges were related to the accusation that he had orchestrated a massive anti-government protest, particularly the Third People's Rally on 14 November 2015 and 12 other rallies in 2014-2015. On 4 July 2016, he was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Korean Won (KRW), equivalent to around 435 US Dollars. He was found guilty of, among other things, causing injury to a public official (Article 144(2) of the Criminal Code); obstructing the discharge of duties by a public official (Article 144 of the Criminal Code); the destruction of public goods (Article 141 of the Criminal Code); and obstructing traffic (Article 185 of the Criminal Code). The Court at the time stated that "only peaceful demonstrations are protected as freedom of expression in the Constitution'. However, on 13 December 2016, an Appellate Court reduced the sentence to three years in prison, claiming that there was no evidence supporting claims that police officers had had difficulties breathing caused by the protests. On 25 April this year, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion that the charges against Han Sang-gyun were in violation of his right to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and of peaceful association. "The South Korean government"s detention of Han Sang-gyun constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty that is in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights' the Working Group explained in its 78th Opinion and instructed that "the government should immediately release Han and compensate him according to international law.' On 31 May 2017, the Supreme Court denied Sang-gyun Han's final appeal and upheld his conviction, both the prison sentence and the monetary fine. Therefore, FORUM-ASIA reiterates its call to uphold justice for Han Sang-gyun, and to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which are guaranteed by the Constitution of South Korea. Pardoning Han Sang-gyun is the only logical next step for President Moon Jae-in. UPDATE: On 21 May 2018, Han Sang Gyun, former President of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was released on parole. He has served two-thirds of his three-year prison term after being convicted on final appeal last May.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Labour rights, Right to fair trial, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Sep 25, 2016
- Event Description
The farmer Baek Nam-gi (69) breathed his last breath before hearing a word of apology from the Park Geun-hye government. No one took the responsibility and no one was punished for his death. Baek's death is expected to fuel the controversy and debate over excessive use of police force in suppressing riots and over who was responsible for the tragedy. Baek was born in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do in 1948. He entered Chung-Ang University, but returned to his hometown in 1981 and became a farmer after joining demonstrations to abolish the Yushin dictatorship. In 1986, he joined the Catholic Farmers' Association and led the movement to promote Korean wheat. Baek joined the First People's Rally near Gwanghwamun, Seoul on November 14, 2015 calling for President Park to keep her promise to raise the purchasing price for rice. During this day's demonstration, he fell after being hit by the police water cannon as the protestors tugged at a rope that tied the police buses together to form a barricade. He was transferred to a hospital with the help of the other rally participants, but never regained consciousness after that day. He died 317 days later on September 25. For Baek's family, who were only allowed two visitations a day at Seoul National University Hospital's intensive care unit, each day was a continuation of more heartache. They demanded an apology from the government and asked that the government punish those responsible. But the president and the senior police officials never budged. The police refuted that they had made a legitimate response to the illegal violent demonstration. Maina Kiai, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, who visited South Korea last January, mentioned Baek's incident at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in June and pointed out, "The use of water cannons was indiscriminate and in some cases, it is difficult to justify the use of the water cannon targeting a specific person." The South Korean government protested saying, "We never used the water cannon on a peaceful and legitimate demonstration. It was only used to stop illegal violent protestors." Baek's wife and daughter engaged in a one-person demonstration in front of Cheong Wa Dae demanding the truth behind the incident as well as the punishment of those responsible. However, Cheong Wa Dae remained silent. President Park remained silent to the opposition parties' request to resolve Baek's case during the meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties at Cheong Wa Dae on September 12 just as she had in an earlier meeting with the floor leaders of the three parties in May. The National Assembly held a parliamentary hearing more than 300 days after Baek was admitted to the hospital, but the hearing simply reconfirmed the "ignorance" of public authority as witnesses simply answered that they did not know anything. During the parliamentary hearing organized by the National Assembly's Safety Administration Committee on September 12, Kang Shin-myung, former commissioner general of the National Police Agency said, "It is not appropriate to unconditionally apologize when a person is injured or killed," and refused to make an official apology. Kang argued, "I can do so after clearly identifying the cause and legal responsibility. It is very inappropriate to talk about this only with the results." The opposition parties requested the police to submit the inspection report, which the police drew up in the early days of the incident, for they believed a review was necessary in order to get to the truth of the matter. The police insisted on their existing position that they could not submit the report for a prosecutors' investigation and trial were still underway. However, the prosecutors' investigation that the police mentioned has failed to take a single step forward. Baek's family reported seven people including former Commissioner General Kang to the Prosecutors' Office on charges of attempted murder, and this case is currently in the hands of Criminal Department 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. However, they have failed to make any progress. One prosecutor said, "We have no plans to summon the police." On September 2, the National Human Rights Commission said, "Promptly identifying the truth on the injuries that occurred in the process of containing a riot is the only way to prevent a tragic incident as in the case of Baek Nam-gi," and called for Public Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam to promptly investigate the issue. Previously, the human rights commission had deemed that the use of water cannons could seriously harm the human body and advised the police to stipulate the specific criteria for the use of the water cannons in relevant legislation in 2008 and 2012. But the police refused to accept the recommendation claiming that they were using the water cannons safely according to guidelines. Citizens who had heard that Baek was in critical condition through social network service sites on September 24 gathered at a tent pitched in front of the hospital. When the police dispatched officers near the Seoul National University Hospital, including the entrance to the funeral home, the citizens protested, "They are driving another knife into Baek's heart." This day was Baek's seventieth birthday.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to life, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
Kyunghyang Shinmun?code=710100&artid=201609261700237)
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jul 4, 2016
- Event Description
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group with 58 members across Asia, strongly denounces the Seoul Central District Court's decision sentencing Sang-gyun Han to five years in prison and a 500,000 Korean Won (KRW) fine - equivalent to 434 US Dollars - for carrying out his legitimate work as a labour rights activist and human rights defender. The Court found him guilty of inciting illegal actions in 13 rallies in which he was involved, including in the peaceful "People's Rally' on 14 November 2015 in Central Seoul that led to police violently dispersing a largely peaceful protest. The regional human rights group urges the Appellate Court to reverse the verdict and to immediately and unconditionally release Sang-gyun Han. Sang-gyun Han, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), was arrested on 10 December 2015 at the Jogye Temple in Seoul. Since then, around 500 KCTU members have been summoned by the police for taking part in the "People's Rally' in November 2015, twenty -including Sang-gyun Han - of whom have been detained and indicted. In July 2016, thirteen have been released on bail or suspended sentence, while the remaining seven are still awaiting for the Court to hand down its verdict. Among these seven, three will have their trials in the coming weeks. Against Tae-sun Bae, the Executive Director of the Organisation Department of the KCTU, the prosecutors requested six years of imprisonment, and her trial will be held on 19 July 2016. The prosecutors also sought five-year jail sentence for Hyun-dae Lee, the Director of the Organisation Department of the KCTU and Sung-deok Cho, the Vice President of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU). Their trial will be held on 21 July 2016. On 4 July 2016, the Seoul Central District Court convicted Sang-gyun Han on all eight counts against him, including violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act and General Obstruction of Traffic (Article 185 of the Criminal Code). The Court was of the opinion that Sang-gyun Han bore heavy responsibility for inciting illegal actions, inflicting injuries on police officers, and damaging police buses during the November 2015 rally. The Court also stated that "only peaceful demonstrations are protected as freedom of expression in the Constitution". "The guilty verdict against Sang-gyun Han is a clear result of the manifestation of the increasing crackdown on peaceful protests and labour rights movements in South Korea," says Evelyn Balais-Serrano, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA, "Sang-gyun Han is a human rights defender, who has been vigorously advocating for the protection of labour rights in South Korea. Putting him behind bars for exercising his fundamental and constitutional rights is a major setback in the protection of human rights in the country." Such a sentence would set a bad precedent. It would have a chilling effect on human rights defenders and civil society who often face intimidation and judicial harassment for exercising their right to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly in South Korea. FORUM-ASIA reiterates its call to the Government of South Korea that the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of South Korea. As such, these rights must be respected and exercising them should not be deemed a criminal offence. South Korea. as the current President of the UN Human Rights Council should become a role model for other countries in protecting and promoting human rights. "We wish to remind the Government of South Korea of the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, following his official visit to South Korea in January 2016 that assembly organisers should not be prosecuted for allegedly inciting violence and no civil suits should be lodged against them for compensation and damages" stresses Balais-Serrano. UPDATE, 16.12.2016 The president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was sentenced by the Seoul High Court for "leading a violent protest" in November last year. Han Sang-gyun was sentenced to five years in July. After an apppeal, the sentence was commuted on Monday 12 December from five to three years in jail, with a fine of 500,000 won (US$ 430). The court dismissed charges related to a May Day rally held this year. Han was charged because he was one of the organizers of a People's Rally for democracy and against anti-labour legislation on 14 November 2015, which saw riot police clash with protesters. Police used excessive force against largely peaceful protesters, killing farmer Baek Nam-gi with a water cannon. Although no one has been charged with Baek Nam-gi's death, more than a 100 cases against participants in the rally have been processed, with more than a dozen sentenced to jail. Han and five other KCTU activists remain in Seoul detention centre, where they were recently visited by a solidarity delegation from the international trade union movement, including IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches. In recent weeks, there have been mass protests and a general strike against the government of President Park, who was impeached on 9 December. Park has refused to resign, and is challenging the impeachment. Park was impeached due to a corruption scandal involving the chaebols, the powerful Korean family-run multinational corporations that dominate economic life. Unions accuse her of repressing labour on behalf of the chaebols. The chaebols, including Samsung and Hyundai, have a history of violently repressing unions. A report released by IndustriALL and the ITUC demonstates the medieval conditions at Samsung, which has a no-union policy. The impeachment of Park and the commutation of Han's sentence is seen as a partial victory by Korea's unions. However, the work to tame the power of the chaebols and end the repression of trade unions is far from over. Valter Sanches took part in a march of more than a million people in Seoul on 12 November to demand the resignation of Park. Commenting on the sentencing of Han, he said: "Due to the strength and commitment of the Korean unions, and the huge outpouring of international solidarity, we are beginning to make progress. "But the fact remains that Han and others are in prison for leading a peaceful protest, and union activists face severe repression at the hands of the chaebols. "The trade union activists must be unconditionally released so that Korea's unions can continue in their work of containing the illegitimate power of the chaebols."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to fair trial, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2015
- Event Description
SEOUL--South Korea's leading Buddhist organization said Thursday it was willing to negotiate with authorities over the fate of a wanted labor activist who took sanctuary in one of its temples last weekend. Han Sang-gyun - the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions - sought sanctuary in the Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul following a massive anti-government demonstration on Saturday. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Han, saying he incited violence during the protest that saw numerous clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Han asked the monks to mediate with the government, and on Thursday a leading member of the Jogye Order, the Venerable Do-Bup, told reporters that they would do so. "We have decided to serve the guest who came to our home, despite some inconveniences," he said. South Korean religious venues have a long history of providing refuge for political activists, most notably in the 1980s when many young pro-democracy activists who were on the run from police sought sanctuary in Catholic churches. Although there is no legal reason preventing police entering such venues, they have traditionally opted not to do so for fear of triggering a public backlash. In 2013, the then Korail Union vice president Park Tae-man and three of his colleagues also took refuge in the Jogye temple - staying there for 20 days before voluntarily surrendering to police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Labour rights, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
[China Post](http://China Post
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2015
- Event Description
At least 30 people have been injured after police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse what was believed to be the largest anti-government protest in South Korea's capital in more than seven years, local media reported. On Saturday up to 80,000 people in Seoul called for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye in demonstrations fuelled by growing frustration over the government's labour policies and rising youth unemployment. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said the protest shows the "general polarisation" of politics in South Korea. However, he said, the heavy rain on Saturday may have dampened the turn out of the protest. The marches, organised by labour, civic and farmers' groups, brought together protesters with a diverse set of grievances against the government of conservative President Park Geun-hye, including her business-friendly labour policies and a decision to require middle and high schools to use only state-issued history textbooks in classes starting in 2017. Demonstrators, many of them masked, carried banners and chanted "Park Geun-hye, step down" and "No to layoffs" as they occupied a major downtown street and clashed with police, who created tight perimeters with their buses to block them. Protesters tried to move some of the buses by pulling ropes they tied near the vehicle's wheels, and police, wearing helmets and body armour, responded by spraying tear gas at them. Nearby, police sprayed water cannons from above a portable wall to disperse marchers who were trying to advance. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Textbook controversy Earlier in the day, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, an umbrella labor union, clashed with police who unsuccessfully tried to detain KCTU President Han Sang-goon during a news conference. A Seoul court had issued an arrest warrant for Han over a failed court appearance, after he was indicted for his involvement in organising a May protest that turned violent. Police said the crowd at Saturday's protest was probably the largest at a demonstration in Seoul since May 2008, when people poured onto the streets to protest the government's decision to resume US beef imports amid lingering mad cow fears. Labour groups have been denouncing government attempts to change labour laws to allow larger freedom for companies in laying off workers, which policymakers say would be critical in improving a bleak job market for young people. Critics say that the state-issued history textbooks, which have not been written yet, would be politically driven and might attempt to whitewash the brutal dictatorships that preceded South Korea's bloody transition towards democracy in the 1980s. Park is the daughter of slain military dictator Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea in the 1960s and '70s, and whose legacy as a successful economic strategist is marred by records of severe oppression.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Labour rights, Right to political participation, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Oct 5, 2015
- Event Description
South Korean lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex activists claimed they were denied entry to the National Assembly audit of the Gender Ministry, which was held Monday, although they had been previously scheduled to attend the session as witnesses. The two activists included Ryu Min-hee, an attorney at the Korean Lawyers for Public Interest and Human Rights, and Jeong Min-seok, the director of the DDing Dong LGBTQ Youth Crisis Support Center, who said they were abruptly told Oct. 5 by the Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee that they were no longer invited to attend the audit session as witnesses. The decision was reportedly made by the committee's chairwoman, Rep. You Seung-hee of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy. Their invitation as witnesses had been confirmed on Oct. 5, the same day it was revoked just hours earlier. The two activists were to show up at the audit as witnesses of the Gender Ministry's recent denial of LGBTI rights, involving the Daejeon Metropolitan City's newly revised charter of gender equality. In August, the ministry sent the municipal government of Daejeon an official order to delete the charter's newly introduced articles guaranteeing LGBTI rights, after receiving complaints from gay rights opponents and religious groups. "Every other witness, six of them, who had been previously scheduled to attend the audit ended up attending the audit," said Na Young, one of the LGBTI activists protesting against the ministry and the committee. Rep. You Seung-hee's office denied the accusations. "The chairwoman of the committee cannot finalize the list of witnesses by herself," said Kim In-ah from Rep. Yoo's office. "It's untrue that Rep. You denied their entry." Women and human rights' activists have been demanding the ministry recognize and validate LGBTI rights as a gender issue, while the ministry has said the rights of sexual minorities are irrelevant to the Gender Equality Act. It instead explained that the issue falls under the Human Rights Commission and the National Human Rights Commission Act. The activists tried to hand deliver a letter to Gender Minister Kim Hee-jung after the audit session. As the minister refused to accept it, Kim's secretary accepted it instead. The activists said they told the secretary that the particular incident involving the Gender Ministry and the gender equality charter of Daejeon will be addressed at a meeting with U.N. Women's Policy Director Dr. Purna Sen in New York later this month.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies
- Rights Concerned
- SOGI rights
- HRD
- SOGI rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jul 17, 2015
- Event Description
On Constitution Day, students decry a system whereby the rule of law is used to benefit the powerful Members of Youth Left, an organization of university students, were detained by the police for scattering pamphlets around the National Assembly that mourned "the end of constitutional government on Constitution Day." On July 17, two members of Youth Left - surnamed Geum, 24, and Lee, 21 - ripped up A5-size printouts of the text and provisions of the South Korean constitution and scattered them from the rooftop of the Eroom Center, which is located near the National Assembly building in Seoul's Yeouido neighbourhood. The two also distributed a total of three thousand pamphlets titled "Mourning the End of Constitutional Government on Constitution Day." The full text of the constitution that the two distributed came from a pamphlet printed by the Constitutional Court that the two had copied and expanded in size. Immediately after scattering the pamphlets, Geum and Lee were arrested by the Yeongdeungpo Police Department for violating the Building Trespassing Act and for unauthorized distribution of fliers under the Minor Offenses Act. While being arrested, Geum shouted, "Constitutional government in South Korea has been discontinued. Does this country even have a constitution? I wasn't the one who ripped up this constitution. Is today Constitution Day?" "We mourn the end of constitutional government on Constitution Day. Constitutional government has ended, and the rule of law has been hung upside down. Duties are forced upon everyone, while rights are only given to the people in power," Youth Left said in a statement. "The main culprits in the presidential election funding scandal were cleared of their charges, and the Constitutional Court put on a show to disband a political party on the second anniversary of the presidential election. President Park vetoed a bill revising the National Assembly Act that was sponsored by the speaker of the National Assembly and passed with bipartisan support, and she openly wants the National Assembly to become a rubber stamp her own agenda. Park mentioned concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, but what the bill offended was not the constitution but rather her own feelings."
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Right to information, Right to political participation
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jul 16, 2015
- Event Description
Advocates say Park Rae-gun isn't really a flight risk, and his arrest may be intended to intimidate activists At around midnight on July 16, messages began going up on Facebook about the issuance of a preliminary arrest warrant for Park Rae-gun, the 54-year-old director of the Center of Human Rights. A member of the standing committee for the group April 16 Alliance, which has been calling for an investigation into the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, Park had been under investigation for three months on charges of Assembly and Demonstration Act violation and obstruction of special official duties for his role in organizing four memorial rallies around Jongno Police Station in Seoul, which had previously requested the preliminary arrest warrant application from prosecutors after completing a search and seizure and calling Park in for questioning. "While our search and seizure did not turn up much relevant evidence, it appears that evidence was destroyed," the police said, adding that it had "concerns about additional evidence destruction and a possible flight risk." Lee Seung-gyu, a warrant judge at Seoul Central District Court, agreed to the request, noting the flight risk and the "substantiation of some charges." Park's arrest is his fourth since joining the campaign for human rights two decades ago. Three of his arrests came while opposing the US military base at Daechu Village in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province and working with a pan-national countermeasures committee in the wake of the 2009 Yongsan tragedy, in which five demolition protesters and one police officer lost their lives. Poet Song Gyeong-dong decried the arrest in a Facebook message. "A country that arrests human rights activists . . . first Daechu Village, Yongsan, and the Hope Buses, and now Sewol protestors are being hauled in and standing side by side in the defendants' box," he wrote. Park entered the Yonsei University department of Korean literature in 1981 with dreams of becoming a novelist. He took part in the student and labor movements while in school, but his decision to become a human rights activist in earnest came after his younger brother Rae-jeon, then president of the Soongsil University College of Liberal Arts student council, committed suicide by self-immolation in 1988 to protest the Roh Tae-woo administration. He has been one of the country's leading campaigners, working in an ever-broader range of human rights areas for the release of conscientious objectors, the eradication of torture, the investigation of suspicious politically related deaths, residents' rights, the minimum wage, and irregular workers. Park's attorneys claim that he only organized the rallies and did not plan or direct any illegal actions. They also argue that the police themselves provoked clashes by spraying protesters with from water mixed with pava (an incapacitant spray) from water cannons after they were already agitated over the erection of vehicle barricades. The decision to arrest a rally organizer three months after the fact - without any attempts to flee - is seen as unusual. Another arrest warrant request for Kim Hye-jin, a member of the April 16 Alliance organizing committee, was rejected by the court. "The fact that they issued a warrant even though[Park] had participated willingly in the questioning and there was no real flight risk shows that they were thinking more about the political and social situation rather than considering the legal aspect," said Kim Deok-jin, secretary-general of the Catholic Human Rights Committee. Yeom Hyeong-guk, one of the attorneys representing Park, noted the judge had given explicit orders not to "interpret the findings in political terms" when the warrant review was started on July 16. But according to Myeong Sook of the human rights group Sarangbang, the decision "turned out to be political in the end." Kim Nam-ju, an attorney who met with Park at the Jongno Police Station detention center on July 17, quoted him as saying he had "seen this kind of suppression coming once[former Minister of Justice] Hwang Kyo-ahn became Prime Minister." The April 16 Alliance said it plans to carry out a signature campaign to call for Park's release and "alert the country and international community to the illegitimacy of the arrest." UPDATE: 27/ August/ 2015 The government's criminalization of a crack about Pres. Park's botox Human rights activist Park Rae-gun, who is in jail pending trial on charges of organizing a memorial demonstration for the sinking of the Sewol ferry, now faces another charge: defamation of President Park Geun-hye. During the demonstration, Park Rae-gun is accused of saying, "There are allegations that President Park was taking drugs or getting Botox to beautify her skin. I'd love to confirm those allegations." Park Rae-gun was referring to the seven hours when Park Geun-hye did not appear on Apr. 16, the day of the sinking. Setting aside the question of whether Park Rae-gun's remarks actually constitute defamation, it is truly bizarre to see the current government overreacting and overreaching in its attempt to prevent any mention of the Sewol tragedy. The very fact that Park was arrested last month smacks of a "compulsory quarantine" aimed at stonewalling efforts to learn the truth about the Sewol tragedy. As the director of People Focused on Human Rights and a member of the standing operating committee for People's Solidarity for the Promise of April 16, Park has joined bereaved Sewol families in taking the lead in these efforts. After he organized the memorial demonstration, the police launched a compulsory investigation into charges that he instigated illegal and violent behavior, carrying out a raid and calling him in for questioning. While this was clear intimidation, Park assented to the questioning in good faith. Since he did not flee and since there is no evidence for him to hide or destroy, the only conclusion is that he should not have been arrested. If any evidence were necessary, the pictures and video shot by the police during the demonstration ought to have been enough. Despite this, the police and prosecutors put Park in jail three months after the demonstration was held. We cannot help but suspect that this was less from judicial necessity than from political necessity - the necessity of locking him up and muzzling him. After Park's arrest, a "collective statement" was released containing individual messages from 4,820 activists with civic groups and ordinary people calling for Park's release. The statement is a protest against such barbaric and backward behavior. But apparently the prosecutors were unfazed, since they added defamation to the list of charges against Park. This only increase suspicions about what could possibly be so embarrassing that the administration feels compelled to keep muzzling Park. The prosecutors also appear to be meting out harsh retribution on someone else's behalf. Even so, they cannot keep everyone quiet indefinitely. It is time to bring these pointless efforts to an end and to release Park.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Administrative Harassment, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jun 4, 2015
- Event Description
Organisers of South Korea's annual gay pride festival vowed on Thursday to push ahead with a planned parade in downtown Seoul, despite a police ban and protests from conservative Christian groups. More than 20,000 people had been expected to take part in the street parade on June 28 at the end of the Korea Queer Festival that kicks off next Tuesday. But there was fervent and vocal opposition from conservative Christian groups, and police last week banned the parade, citing concerns over public safety and traffic disruption. Gay and transgender Koreans live largely under the radar in a country that remains deeply conservative about matters of sexual identity and where many still regard homosexuality as a foreign phenomenon. Gay rights activists say some progress has been made in recent years, but the police ban on the parade is the first since the annual Queer Festival began 15 years ago. Woo Ji-Young, executive director of the festival's organising committee, accused the police of caving in to pressure from conservative Christians. "The police should protect the rights of free expression, rather than siding with those trying to suppress it," Woo told AFP. "The parade will go on whether the police ban it or not," Woo said, while adding that activists would continue to press for the police decision to be reversed. Violating laws on public rallies can draw a fine of up to two million won ($1,800) or even a jail term of up to two years, but Woo said the organisers were willing to take the risk. The annual parade has in recent years attracted a growing number of participants -- but also an equally swelling crowd of critics. Last year, Christian activists disrupted the march by lying down in the street, and this time around they tried in advance to block the event by filing competing applications for the same dates and venues. Woo said the organisers had been forced to switch venues several times.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of Religion and Belief, SOGI rights
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- May 14, 2015
- Event Description
Protests yesterday erupted outside Yuen Foong Yu (YFY Group) headquarters in Taipei following the recent suicide of South Korean activist Bae Jaey-eong, who led a string of demonstrations in Taipei earlier this year to protest against the company's decision to cease operations in Icheon, South Korea. In a show of solidarity with their South Korean counterparts, more than 100 Taiwanese labor union activists and their supporters participated in the rally, pelting the YFY Group building with eggs and splashing red paint over the company's main logo. Bae, 44, was the former union leader of Hydis Technologies, which in 2008 was acquired by Taiwan's E-Ink Holdings (EIH) - a subsidiary of YFY Group. He later became deputy president of the Korean Metal Workers' Union Gyeonggi Province branch. Despite prolonged protests in February and March, EIH last month dismissed more than 300 employees as planned, prompting the laid-off workers to continue their protests at the site of the manufacturing facilities. Before Bae's death, the management at Hydis threatened to file civil and criminal lawsuits against the workers to demand large compensation, Taiwan Association of Human Rights member Yen Szu-yu said yesterday. She said Bae was among 32 workers who temporarily kept their jobs following the mass dismissals and were tasked with maintaining equipment. The company threatened to sue the workers for allegedly damaging equipment while they were absent on May 1, when Bae led the workers to attend a parade on International Workers' Day, Yen said. "He was forced to commit suicide because of legal threats issued by management," she said. "His death was the result of malicious accusations and oppression," she said. In his will, Bae urged his fellow union activists at Hydis to continue to fight for their cause and apologized for difficulties caused by controversies caused by his decision on May 1. Carrying a portrait of Bae while throwing "ghost money" in the air, the protesters walked around the YFY Group compound while singing Battle Hymn of Workers, which was originally adapted from The March of the Beloved, a Korean song that featured prominently in South Korea's democratization movement. EIH public relations manager Huang Chih-ming said the company "shares the grief and expresses its regret," and that it would provide assistance to Bae's family members for funeral expenses. He said that EIH would not reverse its decision on the mass dismissals, adding that any plans for legal action against the workers were made by management in South Korea.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Death, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Right to Protest, Right to work
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jan 31, 2015
- Event Description
SEOGUIPO, South Korea, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- The Navy began taking measures Saturday to drive sit-in protesters out of the construction site of a naval base on a major southern island to complete the construction project by December as planned, triggering strong resistance from the protesters. Civic groups, environmental activists and some residents in the village near the construction site have staged protests in a make-shift tent at the entrance of the site since October last year when the Navy began constructing apartment buildings to be used as an official residence for military officers to work at the naval base. About 1,000 officials, including some 800 police officers, were in place at the scene to eject the protesters. "We're going to remove vehicles and a protest tent illegally built to interfere with the construction from the site," said a military official sent to carry out the administrative action. The action immediately caused a fierce physical clash between police officers and the residents of Gangjeong village and their supporters. The Navy said they had no other option but to drive them out in order to complete the construction of five four-story apartment buildings that would house essential members of navy operations and their families in the future, timed with the completion of the naval base in December as planned. The military has been constructing a modern military port that would hold up to 20 warships simultaneously, along with two 150,000 ton cruise ships. The military says the Jeju base, if completed as scheduled in December, will give Seoul a launching point for sending naval vessels into the South Sea, a key trade route for South Korea. But the opponents have long staged protests and taken legal steps to halt construction, citing potential environmental damage to the area designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Right to Protest
- Source
Yonhap News?cid=AEN20150131001000315)
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Oct 8, 2012
- Event Description
On 8 October 2012, Jan Beranek, Greenpeace International energy team lead, and Dr. Rianne Teule, Greenpeace International nuclear campaigner, were stopped at Seoul's Incheon airport and not allowed into the country, where they were due to present at a seminar on nuclear power and meet journalists. Both of them had been allowed into South Korea in the past and no official reasons were given for today's denial of access. In total, six staff from Greenpeace International and Greenpeace East Asia have been denied access to South Korea since last November. Beranek is a long-time critic of nuclear power, while Teule is an expert on the risks of radiation and contamination. She has overseen several operations near the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in Japan to independently measure and sample radiation contamination. Beranek and Teule were invited into South Korea by the group Joint Action for a Nuclear-Free Society, which represents about 40 Korean civic groups, to present at a seminar on the danger of operating the Canadian CANDU nuclear reactor. The Korean government is pursuing an extension to the operating life of the CANDU in Wolsong, one of the oldest reactors of this type in the world. The seminar was to be followed by a joint news conference. The denial of access comes just days after two 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors at separate South Korean plants were shut down for systems malfunctions. The shutdowns sparked demands for a safety review. In addition, South Korea will host a pre-meeting later in October of the UN climate conference in Doha, and at the same time a meeting of the Global Green Growth Institute. The government is expected to use these stages to greenwash its nuclear industry. Last year, media reported that South Korea would spend $9 million US to counter the work of Greenpeace and other non-governmental organisations
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Jul 2, 2012
- Event Description
On 2 April 2012, at 2pm, Dr. Mario Damato, Mr. Fung Ka Keung and Mr. Kang Iong Nian three senior staff members of the East Asia office of Greenpeace, were denied entry into the Republic of Korea upon arrival at Incheon International Airport.The three senior staff members of Greenpeace East Asia were accompanying the International Executive Director of Greenpeace, Mr. Kumi Naidoo. Mr. Damato, Mr. Fung and Mr. Kang were stopped at Immigration. Mr. Naidoo however was allowed to entry. Mr. Damato, Mr. Fung and Mr. Kang were temporarily detained for six hours, while awaiting deportation to Hong Kong. The purpose of the visit was to promote one of the Greenpeace ships, the Esperanza, two weeks before it would arrive in South Korea. The Esperanza is on tour to promote the use of renewable energy. The delegation also planned to meet with government officials, political leaders, and prominent members of civil society to promote the renewable energy vision and explore collaboration on the Greenpeace domestic and global nuclear campaign. The organization had no protests planned, only meetings with government officials and reporters. The immigration authorities did not give any reason why the three men were denied entry while Mr. Naidoo was allowed in. The national newspaper The Korea Herald reported that "according to a Korea immigration Service officer, they received a request to deny entry to Greenpeace officials from a government branch. The officer, on the condition of anonymity, refused to disclose which branch it was. The officer added that the government branch had filed the request on the basis of national interest." Around 8 pm, Dr. Damato, Mr. Fung and Mr. Kang were deported from Incheon airport to Hong Kong. In the evening of that same day, Mr. Naidoo was able to meet with the Mayor of Seoul, Mr. Park Woon Soon, the Mayor of Incheon, Mr. Song Young Gil, other local politicians, media and representatives of NGOs.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Korea, Republic of
- Initial Date
- Oct 7, 2010
- Event Description
On 7 October 2010, six Filipino activists who had planned to take part in alternative meetings that are set to run parallel to the G20 summit in South Korea were deported from Seoul. All six were put on a flight back to Manila late Saturday after being told by South Korean authorities that they were blacklisted and could not enter the country. One of those deported, Maria Lorena Macabuag of the group Migrant Forum Asia, said they were only attending a peaceful parallel forum and had not broken any law. "We were just informed that we were blacklisted by the South Korean government and that we are not allowed to enter Korea," she said in a statement. "We asked for a written explanation why we were blacklisted. They told us they will get back to us." South Korean police and military have been on high alert after activists said they expected up to 20,000 people to join a protest march at the start of the two-day Group of 20 summit.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Violation
- Deportation
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
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