Five NHRC officials refuse posts, demand chair's resignation over 'civil war' incident and Queer Festival absence

Internal dissent is escalating at South Korea's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as a fifth senior official has refused a new appointment, demanding the resignation of Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho. Nam Kyung-hye, recently appointed head of the Daegu Human Rights Office, publicly rejected her promotion, stating that the commission remains "stuck in the night of December 3rd's civil war." She criticized the lack of accountability regarding Ahn's actions during a controversial incident two years ago and the NHRC's decision to skip this year's Queer Culture Festival. Nam expressed deep respect for other officials who have already relinquished their positions and urged Ahn to take responsibility, noting that his promises to listen to staff concerns have not translated into action. The protest began earlier this month when Kim Jae-seok, head of the Military Human Rights Protection Division, refused his reassignment. Since then, several other officials, including Park Gwang-woo and Kwon Hyuk-jang, have followed suit, citing similar grievances related to Ahn's leadership and the commission's perceived failures in addressing human rights issues. The ongoing resignations and rejections of appointments signal a significant crisis within the NHRC, with staff calling for the normalization of the institution's operations and leadership.

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The Human Rights Commission is stuck in the night of December 3rd's civil war.