Human Rights Commission Audit Marred by Controversy... Standing Committee Member 'Refuses Group Oath'

Ahn Chang-ho, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, is responding to questions during the National Assembly Steering Committee's audit of the National Human Rights Commission held at the National Assembly on the 31st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRCK) engaged in intense exchanges with opposition party lawmakers on the 31st at the National Assembly Steering Committee’s audit session over past controversial remarks. Tensions escalated particularly around statements made by standing commissioners Lee Choongsang and Kim Yongwon, who had been at the center of internal disputes.

Commissioner Lee, who was suspected of workplace harassment, faced criticism for making remarks that directly contradicted the NHRCK’s own audit findings, which were deemed inappropriate. When Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Jongmyeon asked if he acknowledged the audit results, Lee responded, "No. The parties involved were seriously at fault," and countered, "The victims committed the crime of falsifying official documents, and when I pointed that out, they accused me of workplace harassment."

In February last year, Commissioner Lee engaged in a dispute by commenting on an employee’s post on the internal bulletin board that pointed out his hateful remarks. The NHRCK accepted the employee’s complaint of infringement on personal rights and conducted an audit for one year. In July this year, the audit concluded that Lee’s language and behavior were inappropriate; however, as political appointees are not subject to disciplinary action under the State Public Officials Act, the matter was closed without further measures.

Commissioner Kim Yongwon sparked controversy over the oath-taking of witnesses. He argued, "The Criminal Procedure Act stipulates that witnesses read aloud and sign the oath, but it does not mandate collective oath-taking like a joint wedding ceremony," advocating for separate oaths. When Steering Committee Chair Park Chandae pointed out this as an 'excessive expression,' Kim rebutted by referring to the human rights commissioner’s confirmation hearing in September, where he was given only one minute to testify during a 400-minute session, calling it a "serious human rights violation against witnesses."

Kim also denied allegations that he called reporters 'giregi' (a derogatory term for journalists) during the June standing committee meeting, claiming it was a "devil’s edit" and that the context was omitted. Furthermore, when Democratic Party lawmaker Go Minjung mentioned that he had been "judged as an illegal lawbreaker," Kim strongly refuted, saying, "There is no such expression in the Administrative Court ruling."

Meanwhile, NHRCK Chairperson Ahn Changho emphasized autonomy regarding the designation of Han Kang’s Nobel Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian as a harmful sex education book for youth by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, stating, "This is a matter for the local community to decide."

Regarding Commissioner Lee’s past remarks related to the Itaewon tragedy ("They gathered to have fun, and a disaster occurred"), Ahn said, "It is necessary to verify the authenticity directly with him." In response, Commissioner Lee expressed to the bereaved families present, "I am personally sorry."