in charge should conform to during the process of refugee application.
- Please provide detailed measures to enable refugee application screening to be based on the nec
essity for protection rather than race, skin color, nationality and ethnicity.
- Please provide detailed measures to enhance independence and fairness of objection deliberation
institution during the process of refugee application.
32. Business and Human Rights
1) Current Status
- The international community including the UN and OECD expressed their concern regarding human r
ights infringement by Korean companies operating abroad including the import of cotton from Uzbekist
an, working condition in Korean clothing factories in Myanmar and the issue of compensation related t
o the steel factory in India and the natural gas project in Myanmar.
- The UN Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound mana
gement and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes recommended in his report on the state visit t
o Korea in 2016 that the government should pay due attention to victims of Oxy humidifier sanitizer,
workers exposed to hazardous material at Samsung Electronics, and people residing near the place whic
h is exposed to hazardous material, and seek measures to address these issues.
- The NHRCK, on May 23, 2016, released Chairperson’s statement through which it emphasized the ne
ed to expand government support for victims of Oxy humidifier sanitizer as well as monitor and impro
ve the system to manage daily chemical products. On December, 21, 2017, the NHRCK recommended
to improve related system to strengthen sample survey system pursuant to the Framework Act on the S
afety of Products to enable the business owner to check on the safety of the product before production
or distribution, calling for efforts of business and government to prevent the distribution of products t
hat threaten people’s life and health.
- In addition, on July 12, 2018, the NHRCK recommended for amendment of related legislation includi
ng the Occupational Safety and Health Act to devise measures to notify hazards and danger of chemic
al material to enable workers’ immediate and easy acknowledge to protect the right to health of worker
s and their children, and to introduce a deliberation system on trade secrets to prevent arbitrary omissi
on in the Material Safety Data Sheet for the reason of protecting the trade secrets.
- Pursuant to the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of Social Disaster and Building a Safe Society
enacted on December 12, 2017, the government established a Special Investigation Commission on the