Human Rights Commission decides to issue an official statement calling for a reconsideration of Sejong City's relocation policy

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Soo-yeon = The National Human Rights Commission, which was selected by the government for relocation to Sejong City next year, decided to request a review of government policy by issuing an official statement.

At the 20th plenary committee held on the afternoon of the 9th, the Human Rights Commission discussed 'the matter of adopting the National Human Rights Commission's position on the relocation plan of central administrative agencies, etc.' and decided to send an official statement urging a reexamination of the relocation plan to the President's Secretariat and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.

The position statement included a request for cooperation from the government so that the relocation of the Human Rights Commission can be accomplished in a way that respects its independent status as a national human rights organization.

The purpose is to request that the Human Rights Commission review the current relocation plan so that it can conduct a human rights impact assessment regarding the necessity, timing, and method of relocation, listen to civil society opinions, and consult with the government.

Concerns were also included that the relocation to Sejong could become a barrier to rights relief by reducing accessibility for socially vulnerable groups, including the disabled, the elderly, and immigrants, who seek the Human Rights Commission.

Previously, the chairs of the Asia-Pacific National Human Rights Institutions Forum (APF) and the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) also sent letters to President Lee Jae-myung and Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, respectively, urging them to reexamine the Human Rights Commission's relocation plan to Sejong City.