National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2021 Emergency remedies If the Commission recognizes that a petition, which meets the criteria for investigation by the Commission, is in relation to human rights violation or discrimination that is still ongoing and there is a likely risk of irreversible harm to be done, emergency remedial actions can be taken based on the NHRCK Act. In 2021, one out of four cases referred to for an emergency remedy resulted in an emergency remedial decision, which was recommendation to separate all abused victims from the facility they were living in and transfer them to a safe facility. Ex Officio investigations Article 30 (3) of the NHRCK Act provides for ex officio investigations to be conducted even when no petition was filed, as long as there is reasonable ground to believe that there was serious violation of human rights or discriminatory act. In 2021, the Commission decided to initiate seven ex officio inspections, and adding the six cases that were carried over from the previous year, finalized ten cases. Eight ended with a recommendation for emergency remedies, one with a recommendation for disciplinary action, and one with a referral to investigation authorities. On-site inspections Article 24 (1) of the NHRCK Act provides that “the Commission may, if deemed necessary, visit a confinement or caring facility to make an investigation by its resolution.” In 2021, it decided to initiate on-site inspections in relation to seven cases, and adding the cases that were carried over from the previous year, concluded seven cases. Six on-site inspections (to a mental medical institution, an immigration detention facility, a facility for the homeless, a relief and rehabilitation facility, a military correctional facility, and a Coast Guard holding cell) were concluded with a policy recommendation, and an on-site inspection of a correctional facility concluded with notification of the inspection results to the facility. 90