National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2022
also recommended enhancing the understanding of child rights among popular culture and art
enterprises.
Regarding the issue of lowering the age limit for criminal minors and the upper age limit for
juvenile offenders, the Commission expressed the opinion that such adjustments go against
international human rights standards, which call for the social reintegration and rehabilitation
of juveniles, and cannot be effective solutions to prevent juvenile crime and recidivism. The
Commission also expressed the need for legal measures to register the births of unregistered
migrant’s children born in Korea and to improve their access to medical services.
In addition, the Commission expressed the opinion that the use of the term ‘-lin-i ’1) in official
documents, broadcasts, and the internet by public institutions should be discontinued. To
address the ongoing issues related to the on-the-job training system and the various accidents
that have occurred, the Commission conducted a survey of on-site training programs in
specialized high schools.
The Commission continues to recommend against excessive restrictions on the basic rights
of students, such as the right to freely express their individuality and self-determination and the
right to general freedom of action. These recommendations were made as a result of actively
uncovering human rights issues in order to establish an understanding of child and adolescent
rights and make legal and institutional improvements.
6) Human Rights-friendly Improvements in Criminal Justice Procedures
The Commission made efforts to address human rights violations in the entire criminal justice
process, including submitting opinions on cases related to the unconstitutionality of Article 7
of the National Security Act and Article 19 of the Prevention of Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome Act, and the need for a bill to legalize the practice of tattooing by non-medical
practitioners.
Additionally, it conducted research on improving the human rights and treatment of inmates
in correctional facility, analyzing international human rights standards and identifying issues
with the Administration and Treatment of Correctional Institution Inmates Act, and examined
1) The suffix “-lin-i” is used to refer to someone who is a beginner or novice in a particular field or activity
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