Employees of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea held a press conference criticizing the commission members who decided on a proposal advocating for President Yoon Seok-yeol’s right to defend himself in impeachment proceedings.
On the 11th, at the National Human Rights Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul, the employees stated, “The commission has publicly declared that it will only protect the human rights of a president who enacted an unconstitutional martial law.”
In their statement, the employees expressed, “The commission has remained silent about the human rights violations caused by the martial law declaration. Yet, yesterday, Chairman Ahn Chang-ho, along with standing members Kim Yong-won, Lee Chung-sang, and non-standing members Han Seok-hoon, Lee Han-byul, and Kang Jeong-hye, abandoned the commission’s role in protecting citizens’ human rights to support President Yoon’s unconstitutional martial law.”
They criticized the decision, saying, “The decision undermined the independence of the commission, making the members ‘destroyers’ who have come to ruin it.”
They added, “Thanks to the swift response of lawmakers and citizens, the martial law has been lifted, but one wonders what kind of life citizens would be living today if it hadn’t been. Now, the employees are committed to protecting the human rights values that the commission has pursued for over 20 years.”
In response to why they opposed the commission members’ decision, an employee stated, “Martial law suspends and destroys constitutional order, restricting citizens’ freedom and violating basic human rights, as already stated in the declaration.”
The employee further noted, “Despite the introduction of the issue, it was essentially dismissed. No discussion on the matter took place, only on how the secretariat should respond.”
They continued, “The revised proposal supported the president’s martial law actions, which restrict citizens’ rights. Employees cannot support this and believe the commission should perform its primary duties, strongly opposing the resolution.”
When asked if there was a plan for collective action, it was mentioned that “all employees devoted to protecting the commission will gather consensus on future plans internally and externally.”
The employees also apologized, “We sincerely apologize for the great concern caused to the citizens due to this incident.”
Earlier, the commission had partially revised and passed the “Recommendation on Measures to Overcome the National Crisis Caused by the Martial Law Declaration” during its 2nd plenary session. This proposal included content advocating for President Yoon’s impeachment defense rights.
Five members, including standing member Kim Yong-won, proposed this agenda last month, leading to a strong backlash from opposition politicians and some civic groups, who accused the commission of becoming a “coup-supporting organization.”