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| George Soros participates in the European Council on Foreign Relations in Paris, May 29. / AP-Yonhap |
By Park Ji-won
The Open Society Foundations (OSF), an international group advocating democracy and human rights founded by investor George Soros, has decided to provide $200,000 to an advocacy group in Korea to help improve enlisted soldiers' human rights.
An official of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea (CMHRK) said Monday the OSF provided the center with $50,000 in the first installment of the planned funding last month.
It was the OSF's first financial donation in Korea since it opened its East Asia office in Seoul last year. The funds will be given step-by-step to the NGO over two years, said the official.
The OSF was especially concerned about the ban on mobile phones used by enlisted soldiers, the center said. According to the law, all enlisted soldiers are banned from using their own cell-phones, while officers are allowed to use them.
"Even considering the fact that Korea has conscription, still it is hard to imagine forbidding soldiers from using mobile phones in the United States," a CMHRK official said. "It seems the funding organization sees it seriously that a country can infringe upon individuals' freedom this much."
The OSF and the center have been discussing the financial support since 2016. The group's establishment of the East Asia office facilitated the process and the provision of the first installment took place in early May.
Besides the cell-phone use ban, the OSF paid attention to other human rights abuse cases in the military, such as bullying and sexual minority issues in the barracks. The center said it would organize campaigns to change military systems and practices that violate human rights and would disclose details of how it spends the money.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense is considering plans to allow all soldiers to use mobile phones after daily duty starting next year. It is conducting a pilot program in some units where soldiers keep their phones in designated places and are allowed to use them between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. If the program proves there are no critical side effects such as the leaking of military secrets, it will be introduced in all units in the country.
The OSF financially supports civic organizations around the world, with the mission of improving justice, education, public health and independent media.
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