Dangerous Setback for Minority Rights in South Korea

[Lori Dee]

Dangerous Setback for Minority Rights in South Korea
Equality Opponent to Lead Government's Human Rights Commission
Link to Full Article
Human Rights Watch - Ryan Thoreson
September 23, 2024 9:36AM EDT

South Korea's commitment to equal rights has suffered a dangerous setback with the appointment of Ahn Chang-ho as chairperson of the government's National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

A former Constitutional Court justice, Ahn has drawn widespread criticism for his opposition to antidiscrimination protections, particularly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Ahn has taken several deeply troubling positions over the years, including opposing comprehensive sexuality education in public schools, claiming antidiscrimination protections spread HIV/AIDS and anal cancer, and suggesting that homosexuality could lead to a communist revolution.

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Ahn despite strong opposition from civil society groups and his concerning confirmation hearing, bypassing the National Assembly's approval process. Ahn's confirmation is part of a worrying trend under Yoon's administration, which has now appointed 29 officials without the National Assembly's approval.

South Korea and Japan are the only two countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) without a comprehensive nondiscrimination law. In 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Committee urged South Korea to pass such a law and expressed concern about ongoing discrimination against various minority groups.

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[barbie]

Ahn Chang-ho is a Christian whose belief is based on American Protestantism: https://en.namu.wiki/w/%EC%95%88%EC%B0%BD%ED%98%B8(%EB%B2%95%EC%A1%B0%EC%9D%B8)

BTW, as the current president is so unpopular here, his appointment does not matter so much. The main reason of the delayed nondiscrimination law is the aggressive opposition from Christian groups in S. Korea.

barbie~~

[Lori Dee]

Thank you, barbie!

It is always good to get a perspective from local people who live there and know more than the news sources.