Liberal politicians’ efforts to prohibit discrimination for reason of gender, race, political beliefs and other differences suffered yet another setback in the face of a formidable opposing force: the church.
Reps. Kim Han-gil and Choi Won-shik of the main opposition Democratic United Party withdrew their respective sponsorships of bills for across-the-board anti-discrimination law Sunday. “Overstrained interpretation and rampant distortion of our legislative intents have made any rational discussion impossible any longer,” they said in a statement.
In a worst-case scenario, it will have been the third consecutive legislative failure, following similarly abortive attempts in the 17th and 18th National Assembly, illustrating the nation’s backwardness in human rights issues.
Rep. Choi’s bill put to a month-long public notice, for example, drew no fewer than 106,643 comments, almost all of which vehemently opposed his non-discrimination idea. Some called the two “gays” and “pro-North Korean” lawmakers, threatening to stage anti-campaigns against them and their co-sponsors in the next parliamentary elections.
The two bills commonly call for banning discrimination in employment and other social treatments of people with difference in about 20 categories, including region of birth, skin color, schooling, age, thoughts, medical history, religion, sexual orientation, appearance and marriage. The proposed laws also enable victims to seek compensation for damages through filing law suits, while imposing penalties of up to 30 million won for violators.
Korea’s religious rights are making incomprehensively sensitive reaction to giving equal rights to homosexuals, calling them “Satan.”
Koreans with good sense and consciousness often wonder whether they are living in the 21st century when it comes to human rights issues. At a time when up to 60 percent of Americans support equal treatment of same-sex couples and France is about to be the 11th European country to do so, the nation’s Christian conservatives call for schools to teach against homosexuals, especially since most scientific studies have proved one’s sexual orientation are innate, not acquired inclination. How is it possible to punish people for problems that are not their own faults?
The two opposition lawmakers’ withdrawal of their motions is regrettable, but it’s hard to blame politicians for putting their electability ahead of all else.
That points to the need for the government to step up its own legislative efforts, not least because such an enactment was included in President Park Geun-hye’s election pledge and is one of her administration’s 140 tasks. The U.N. Human Rights Council has also advised Seoul to legislate an anti-discrimination law, and the government decided to accept 42 of the 70 recommendations made by the world body’s Universal Periodic View.
President Park’s two biggest campaign slogans were making Koreans “happy” and pursuing “grand national unity.” Koreans can never be happy when they are discriminated against for reason of having different political beliefs and sexual orientation. Nor can the nation be united if its people are punished for exercising their natural rights.
The Constitution draws a clear line dividing boundaries between the church and the state. It is another role of the leader to remind possible violators of their own domains.