By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Hyun Byung-chul, new head of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), is under fire for allegedly making remarks that hurt the integrity of his office.
Although his commission, which is government-supported, is supposed to allow for independence, according to his critics, Hyun thinks that it is subject to government control and his remarks in question are proof of it.
On Sept. 18, Hyun participated in a Q&A session with legislators at the National Assembly.
Asked about the government’s apparatus downsizing involving his organization, Hyun said, “Under the current government structure, the commission legally belongs to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. I think the downsizing plan should be pushed ahead.”
Earlier this year, the ministry scaled down the commission by almost half and dismissed 21.2 percent of its staffers in an attempt to revamp what it called a “bloated” state agency.
His remarks spurred an immediate and overwhelming backlash from pro-human rights activists and NGOs, leading him to issue a follow-up statement to calm the infuriated public.
“The remarks were made on the assumption that NHRC’s independence is guaranteed,” he said in the statement.
“I support the idea that the commission should run independently. But the reality is different. All campaigns and administrative affairs can be inactive after earning approval from the government. That’s the motivation for me to make such comments.”
Despite the explanation, public anger shows no signs of subsiding. A group of activists staged a rally in front of NHRC headquarters in downtown Seoul, Monday, calling for Hyun’s apology and resignation.
Three top NHRC investigators ― Choi Kyung-Suk, Yoo Nam-Young and Moon Kyung-ran ― also followed the footsteps by urging their boss to make an official apology.
Such a collective action against the NHRC head is unprecedented since its establishment in 2001.
On top of the latest controversy, the NHRC boss, a former president of Hanyang Cyber University and law professor, has found himself mired in a series of scandals since taking office in July. His academic background and social activities were first called into question.
Human rights activists said, unlike his predecessors versed in human rights issues, Hyun has neither engaged in campaigns on human rights protection at home or abroad nor specialized in human rights issues, raising speculation that President Lee Myung-bak picked him to muzzle the commission that has frequently been critical of the government’s business-friendly policies.
Hyun was also accused of allegedly plagiarizing his own academic papers in 1989 and 2002. He denied the allegations.