B. Main Topics 1) Human Rights of Nurses Under COVID-19 Situation A) Work Environment That Does Not Guarantee the Health and Safety of Nurses After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Korea in Jan. 2020 and the declaration of a global pandemic by the WHO in Mar. 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic continues even as of 2022. Where the epidemic has continued for three years, the human rights of nurses, who perform the most extensive work among medical personnel, has become a problem in many aspects, such as heavy workload and health threats. On Apr. 13, 2022, according to a briefing of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, the number of medical personnel dispatched by the quarantine authorities to the field to respond to COVID-19 for two years from Jan. 2020 is 24,189 (including repeats). As of Apr. 12, 4,024 medical personnel are provided at medical institutions and screening clinics, of which 2,468 were nurses,582) accounting for more than half.583) The heave workload of nurses were well known through media coverage during the COVID-19 epidemic. In May 2021, a nurse at a public health center in Busan died after complaining of excessive work while responding to COVID-19,584) and in Sep. 2021, 674 nurses at a public hospital designated as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals in Seoul submitted letters of resignation, urging resolution to the shortage of nursing staff.585) According to the ‘survey on the human rights status of nurses during the infectious disease crisis’ conducted by the NHRCK in 2022, 598 (58.9%) out of 1,016 nurses surveyed were not guaranteed the required break time while performing duties related to COVID-19. 682 (67.1%) experienced abusive language and assault from patients, and 785 (77.3%) experienced going to work despite being sick during the past 12 months. Regarding how often they performed work through social media, phone calls, etc. after work, during the 582) 347 doctors, 2,468 nurses, 338 nurse assistants, 431 clinical technologists, 105 radiographers, 345 caregivers 583) MEDICAL Observer, 2 Years of COVID-19, the Quarantine Authorities Dispatched 24,189 Medical Personnel, Apr. 13, 2022. 584) Joongang Ilbo, Collapsed health center workers… “Taking on 6 tasks alone in the heavy workload of COVID-19,” May 28, 2021. 585) YTN, Nurses ‘Protesting with Letters of Resignation’…“674 Left Since COVID-19,” Sep. 15, 2021. 237