ANNUAL REPORT 2015
3. prepare legal basis on the treatment of mental examinees, and separately accommodate
female mental examinees with those under custody; and
4. develop and strengthen therapeutic measures, including a non-pharmacological therapy
program.
3. Highlights in Expression of Opinion
A. Expression of opinion on the partial revision of the Infant Care Act
The Public Health and Welfare Committee in the National Assembly asked for the
Commission’s opinion regarding the partial revision of the Infant Care Act (Proposal No. 9980
and 13719) to require daycare centers to install CCTVs inside in order to prevent accidents,
including child abuse. In response, the Commission expressed its opinion that it is necessary to:
1. attach a provision that allows an exception when all parents do not agree with such
installation of CCTVs; and
2. attach a provision to prohibit out-of-purpose use of the CCTVs to prevent any abuse or
surveillance on daycare teachers, and to impose sanctions upon violations.
B. Expression of opinion on MOE’s attempt to prohibit the use of yellow ribbon
for the victims of the sunken Sewol Ferry
The Commission received a complaint (14JinJeong0810000) that the Ministry of Education
(MOE) was violating people’s right to expression and conscience by issuing an official notice
to stop the yellow ribbon campaign in schools. However, it could not confirm any report on
restricting people’s freedom to use yellow ribbon and therefore dismissed the case.
The MOE explained that the purpose of the official notice was not to prohibit students from
using yellow ribbon to pray for the Sewol ferry victims; it meant to ask people to refrain from
joining the specific campaign by the name of “Tying the Ribbon of Condolence and Promise
on Trees in School”, which might be deemed as a type of political action since the campaign
is to call for the legislation of the special Sewol bill, under the lead of certain advocacy groups.
However, the Commission found that:
1. the notice was clearly concerning all use of yellow ribbon, not just the campaign mentioned;
and
28 | National Human Rights Commission of Korea