organizations and private schools became included in the scope of their investigations, a system for having National Assembly hearings regarding the appointee for the chairperson of the NHRCK was introduced, and organizations which received recommendations from the Commission should provide their implementation plan thereof within 90 days, all of which contribute to strengthening the status and role of the Commission. 2. Basic Directionality of Activities In 2012, the NHRCK focused on its mid-term plan called the Three-Year Plan for the Promotion of Human Rights. The three-year plan incorporates the clear purpose and goals of the Commission that dreams for a world of dignity for all and delineates the process to be used to achieve these goals. The plan consists of current human rights issues and mid- to long-term plans, including 5 strategic targets, 1 special task and 2 featured projects. The 5 strategic targets are i) to provide institutional protection for and to reinforce basic human rights, ii) to improve human rights protection for the socially marginalized, iii) to enhance the efficacy of investigations and remedial actions, iv) to foster public understanding of human rights by enhancing educational programs, and v) to strengthen remedies for discrimination. Also, the Commission selected “the improvement of North Korean human rights” as a special task and “spreading a culture of human rights in company management” and “improving information and communications technologies(ICTs) and human rights” as feature projects. The NHRCK has pursued these goals and strived to develop solutions for the current challenges in front of us as well as mid- to long-term measures that will help improve human rights. The Commission has also fulfilled its basic duties as a national human rights institution, such as improving human rights-related policies, investigating and taking remedial actions on human rights violations and discrimination, providing human rights education, promoting human rights and conducting internal and external cooperative works. Introduction 15