Korea Gives Up Presidency for Int’l Human Rights Agency
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Thursday decided not to recommend a candidate for the Asia-Pacific representative of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC), Thursday.
Generally, the NHRC chairman becomes the candidate representing the nation's human rights movement in international organizations. But progressive NGOs criticized its new chief Hyun Byung-chul for lacking in experience on human rights activities.
The commission had considered recommending a third figure to the post as Hyun had little chance of winning.
However, the commission decided against fielding a Korean candidate. "We thought that it was more appropriate to devote ourselves to pending issues at home," an NHRC official said.
The ICC president is to be elected at the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions in Jordan next month. It had been expected that a Korean would take over.
Hyun was named chairman on June 16, but civic groups claim he is not qualified to take the job because he has no record of promoting human rights. His inauguration was delayed amid protests. He mainly studied civil law and has not had much experience on human rights issues, the civic groups said.
Progressive organizations said he should not run for the office since he was not a human rights expert. They announced Sunday that they will send letters to the ICC and APF, advising them that Hyun is not qualified to be the ICC president.
Conservative civic groups criticized this move, saying that once a Korean becomes the ICC chairman, Korea's human rights movement will receive more international recognition.