South Korea rights body urges local councils to boost human rights education

South Korea's National Human Rights Commission has called for enhanced human rights education for local council members and their affiliated public officials. This initiative stems from the stark reality that a minimal number of local councils provide such crucial training, despite their direct impact on residents' lives.

The commission urged the Minister of the Interior and Safety, heads of provincial and municipal councils, governors, and leaders of political parties to integrate human rights education into their regulations. They also recommended developing methods to publicize the outcomes of this education to the public.

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As the Local Autonomy Act was revised in 2021, the authority and status of local councils have significantly expanded, making human rights education for all members, including local council members, even more necessary.

Highlighting the role of local councils as representatives of the people, the commission stated that their authority and standing have significantly increased since the 2021 revision of the Local Autonomy Act. This expansion necessitates improved human rights awareness among all council members and staff.

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We expect that through the active institutionalization of human rights education by relevant agencies, local councils will further strengthen their role as policy-making bodies for the protection of local residents' basic rights and the promotion of human rights, as well as diligently oversee human rights administration.

However, a survey conducted by the commission last year revealed a significant gap. Among the 32 local councils surveyed (two provincial and 30 municipal), only four had conducted human rights education in the past two years. This contrasts sharply with international practices, where entities like the UN explicitly designate local councils as human rights education implementers, and countries such as those in the EU, the US, Canada, and Japan offer diverse human rights training programs for their local officials and employees.

The commission expressed its hope that through the active institutionalization of human rights education by relevant bodies, local councils will further solidify their role as policy-making institutions for protecting citizens' fundamental rights and promoting human rights, while also diligently overseeing human rights administration. They pledged to continue efforts toward institutionalizing and enriching human rights education.

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We will continue to strive for the institutionalization and enrichment of human rights education.