Human Rights Commission Union Begins One-Person Protests Demanding Chair Ahn Chang-ho’s Resignation

Employees at South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission have begun one-person protests demanding the resignation of Chair Ahn Chang-ho, despite a year remaining in his term. The commission’s branch of the Korean Government Employees’ Union said the protests began on July 7 under the banner of seeking Ahn’s departure and the institution’s normalization.

Ahn has faced criticism inside and outside the commission for leading the passage of a proposal concerning former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s right to a defense, for not attending a queer festival and for opposing an anti-discrimination law. Ahn’s term is due to end in September next year.

Dissatisfaction has been building among staff for months. On November 17 last year, about 40 employees, beginning with managers at the department-head level, posted messages under their real names on the commission’s internal forum calling for Ahn to decide his future. In a union survey of 277 of the commission secretariat’s 301 employees last December, 164 respondents said Ahn should resign to restore the institution.

Ahn has dismissed such views as the opinions of a minority, but the calls for his resignation have continued. On June 15, seven senior officials, beginning with department-level managers, criticized Ahn and announced they would surrender their posts. After Ahn refused to accept their resignations from office, employees across all 30 departments began posting messages on the internal forum from July 8 demanding his departure.

The union said it would continue pursuing the commission’s normalization so it could carry out its core role of promoting and protecting citizens’ human rights. It also said it would demand comprehensive reform, including changes to personnel.

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We will continue, without wavering, on the path toward normalizing the National Human Rights Commission so it can fulfill its fundamental role of promoting and protecting citizens’ human rights. We will also continue demanding sweeping reform of the commission, including personnel changes.