"Dobong-gu Human Rights Center Shines"... 1,656 Human Rights Cases Received and Resolved Over 5 Years

Dobong-gu Receives and Resolves Total of 1,656 Cases Including General Complaints Since Opening of Human Rights Center
Foundation Established Through Full Revision of Human Rights Protection and Promotion Ordinance in 2019, Center Opened in October of the Same Year
▲Consultation and Investigation of Human Rights Violations ▲Support and Counseling for Gapjil Victims to Ensure Residents' Human Rights
Dobong-gu Holds 2023 Human Rights Week Ceremony at Dobong-gu Office on the 8th

O Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, is speaking about the future direction of Dobong-gu's human rights policy at the '2022 Dobong-gu Human Rights Week Ceremony' held on December 9 last year.

“Are you very close with the department head? Is it a personal relationship?...”

The respondent repeatedly called the complainant and questioned and interrogated the complainant about their private life, especially their relationship with superiors and their boyfriend. The respondent also engaged in sexual remarks by controlling the complainant’s private life, and during this process, mentioned disadvantages related to the complainant’s personnel matters.

In response, the complainant reported the respondent’s misconduct to the corporate grievance committee. Three days after the report, the respondent inflicted work-related disadvantages (secondary damage) on the complainant and did not pay night work allowances.

At the complainant’s request, according to Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Seoul Dobong-gu Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Prevention and Secondary Damage Prevention Guidelines, the case was transferred to Dobong-gu, and the Dobong-gu Human Rights Center immediately began an investigation.

After counseling and investigation with the complainant, the center recommended the institution to discipline the respondent for workplace sexual harassment and bullying and to pay the overtime night work allowance. The respondent denied these matters and filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court, but in June of this year, the court ruled in favor of the Dobong-gu Human Rights Center and dismissed the respondent’s claim.

In 2019, Dobong-gu established the legal basis for the Dobong-gu Human Rights Center through a full revision of the Ordinance on the Guarantee and Promotion of Human Rights in Dobong-gu and set up the center on the first floor of the district office building in October of the same year.

The center handles various tasks to guarantee and promote the human rights of residents, including counseling, investigation, and relief for human rights violation complaints, ▲ sexual harassment and sexual violence counseling ▲ consultation and support for abuse victims ▲ human rights situation surveys ▲ research and development of human rights indicators ▲ human rights impact assessments. Since its opening, the center has received and resolved a total of 1,656 cases, including general complaints, human rights counseling, and investigations.

Based on the four-year basic human rights policy plan (2021?2024) established in 2020, the district is focusing on ▲ advocating and promoting the human rights of socially vulnerable groups ▲ creating a human rights-friendly urban environment ▲ fostering a culture of human rights respect and strengthening civic awareness ▲ building human rights administrative infrastructure and activating governance.

In particular, efforts are being made to reflect voices from the field through workshops with human rights experts and civil society activists, and residents’ opinions are collected through communication channels such as “What the district mayor hopes for.”

Oh Eun-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “The district is making great efforts to become a human rights city where everyone can participate without discrimination and be respected,” adding, “We will also prepare well the ‘four-year basic human rights policy plan’ to be established next year to create a society where all residents are guaranteed human rights.”

On the 8th, to raise residents’ awareness of human rights, the district will hold the “2023 Dobong-gu Human Rights Week Commemoration Ceremony” under the theme “Dobong’s Human Rights, Drawing the Future of 100 Years.”

This ceremony will include a commemorative event reflecting on the meaning of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various human rights promotion and experience booths where residents can participate.

At Seoninbong Hall, where the main event will be held, diverse performances such as the disabled choir “Dudung Dudung Dobongz,” Nuwon Elementary School Children’s Choir, and magician Ji Ye-jun’s magic show will take place. In the first-floor lobby of the district office, booths prepared by human rights-related organizations such as the Dobong-gu Human Rights Center, Together Disability Independent Living Center, and Dobong Cultural Foundation will be operated.

Prior to the ceremony, since October 27, the district has been exhibiting 40 award-winning works from the “6th Human Rights Art Contest” in the first-floor lobby of the district office and on the district office website (Dobong Promotion Hall). The exhibition will continue until the end of Dobong-gu Human Rights Week (November 27 to December 10).

About 500 works dealing with human rights, including paintings and calligraphy, were submitted nationwide for this open-topic contest, and after expert review, 36 paintings and 4 calligraphy works were finally selected.

Mayor Oh Eun-seok said, “We are promoting various policies to think about human rights together with residents,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to foster a culture of human rights respect in the region together with various human rights-related organizations.”