National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2021 The commissioned study included a sample survey of human rights infringement experiences and perception of professional athletes, coaches, and sports association staff. The findings showed that 58% of athletes said s/he or colleagues had experienced violence or sexual violence, 75% did not report or sought any remedial procedures, and 83% were not presented with any options or manual to deal with an incident. This is an indication that sports-related legislative efforts and policy implementation have not been fully effective in resolving human rights infringements in sports, which in turn highlights the need for an overhaul of associated laws and regulations, and implementation of an updated Human Rights in Sports Charter and Guidelines. To this end, the Commission commissioned a study to present directions and proposed updates to the Human Rights in Sports Charter and Guidelines based on review of existing literature in Korea and key declaration and guidelines in other countries. The study is more comprehensive by including guidelines for safeguarding the basic rights of all sports participants, as well as the rights of student and female athletes, and guidelines to combat discrimination and promote equality in sports. ■ Remedies for victims through active investigation Considering the limitations victims face in reporting their experiences due to the closed nature of the sports community, the Commission continued to operate an exclusive reporting channel using various media (phone, e-mail, Kakaotalk chat) so that victims have better access to the Commission. In 2021, the hours of operation of the channel were extended until 12am, because it was easier for athletes to call in the evening (18:00-24:00) after training. As of December 31, 92 individual cases were filed and eight ended with a recommendation for remedy, two resolved during investigation, and 138 concluded. This is the result of the Commission’s efforts to maintain a high rate of remedied cases as it made it a priority to address victims’ concerns and build confidence. Some key recommendations were made with regards to human rights infringement caused by lack of protection of student athletes in a middle school sports club, human rights infringement caused by a middle school physical education instructor who verbally abused and physically punished students, human rights infringement against an athlete student who suffered violence in a middle school sports club, human rights infringement against a middle school student athlete 84

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