Chapter 2 Domestic and International Environment In establishing the 5th phase of our Human Rights Promotion Action Plan (2018-2020) in 2017, we detected early signals of a new crisis such as the polarization of the labor market caused by educational achievement gaps and formation of academic cliques resulting from income gaps and subsequent discrimination. In response, we set the goal of this action plan for 2018 as "to realize a society free of polarization and discrimination that ensures the respect of the human rights of all." In reality, Korea witnessed a series of human rights issues in 2018, including the hardships faced by the younger generation and the stress of job insecurity of irregular workers under indirect employment arrangements often described as "the outsourcing of danger." With the spread of the #Me Too movement and the surge of asylum-seekers from Yemen coming to Jeju Island, distorted views on and unjustified hostility towards women and refugees also proliferated. In response, since the inauguration of the new Chairperson, the Commission has focused on resolving such hostility towards and discrimination against women, migrants, refugees, and sexual minorities as well as on eliminating social polarization and reinforcing the social safety net. On the internal front, 2018 was a landmark year in the 17-year history of the Commission. The Innovation Committee, formed in October 2017, recommended the initiation of the investigation on the blacklist of the Commission staff and the reinforcement of the Commission's transparency and independence as it concluded its activities in late January 2018. We strived to earnestly and faithfully carry out its recommendations throughout the year. Moreover, the appointment of a female chairperson with a background as a dedicated human rights activist served to spark larger waves of change. Choi Young-ae is the first Chairperson to assume the post from a non-legal field, and her presence contributed to forming the solid foundation for the proposal of the Human Rights Advocates' Coalition and for the reinforcement of partnerships with human rights and civil society organizations in 2018. 14 Introduction