[News Terms] Joguk Innovation Party's 'Social Rights' Pledge

"Not Given by the Government, but Demanded as Citizens' Rights"
Guaranteeing the Right to Housing, Education, Health, and Work

'Social rights (社會權)' refer to the rights of citizens to demand social security measures necessary for a dignified life from the state. It is an abbreviation of social fundamental rights and is also called 'right to livelihood' as it signifies basic rights for survival.

In the West, it is collectively referred to as 'Economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR)'. The basic components of social rights include the right to social security under Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to work under Article 23, the right to rest and leisure under Article 24, the right to an adequate standard of living including food, clothing, and housing under Article 25, the right to education under Article 26, and the right to participate in cultural life and enjoy the arts under Article 27.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is taking commemorative photos with citizens on their way to work near Yeouido Station in Seoul on the 4th.
[Photo by Kim Hyun-min]

In the Republic of Korea, social rights are guaranteed in Chapter 2 (Rights and Duties of Citizens) of the Constitution, including Article 10 on human dignity, value, and the pursuit of happiness; Article 31 on the right to receive education; Article 32 on the right to work; Article 33 on the guarantee of workers' rights to organize, collective bargaining, and collective action; Article 34 on the right to a dignified life; Article 35 on environmental rights and the guarantee of pleasant housing; and Article 36 on the guarantee of personal dignity and gender equality in marriage and family life, maternity protection, and public health.

Experts consider Article 10 on human dignity, value, and the pursuit of happiness, and Article 34 on the right to a dignified life as the most active guarantees of social rights.

On the 4th, Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "In the 22nd National Assembly, we will act to create a 'social rights advanced country where citizens are happier,'" and added, "If new laws are needed, we will create them; if existing laws need revision, we will amend them; and if constitutional amendments are necessary, we will actively pursue them to devote all efforts to the 'construction of the 7th Republic.'"

Leader Cho said, "Along with the early end of prosecutorial dictatorship, another pillar of the Cho Guk Innovation Party's pledges is precisely the construction of the 7th Republic," and added, "The core content of the 7th Republic is a 'social rights advanced country.'"

He explained the concept of 'social rights' as "the right to enjoy the minimum conditions to live like a human being," emphasizing, "It should not be something the government bestows, but a right that citizens can demand." He cited examples such as △the right to housing △the right to receive childcare △the right to education △the right to health △the right to work △equal pay for equal work △and a social solidarity wage system.