14 Introduction 2 Chapter Domestic and International Environment The inauguration of a new government with a high priority on human rights helped raise interest on human rights within the central and regional governments. A new category on human rights improvement was added to the government performance evaluation led by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, providing an institutional evaluation framework to gauge the efforts of central government agencies to accommodate recommendations made by the Commission. Internally, the Commission organized an Operation Innovation Task Force in order to complete the innovation tasks carried out from 2015. During a three-week period, the TF selected key innovation tasks. Subsequently, a NHRCK Innovation Committee comprising mainly external personnel was established to refine the tasks. On 17 December, the Commission made the first special brief to the President in five years and nine months. This was the first briefing to the President following his expression of intent to restore the purpose and significance of special briefings. During the brief, Chairperson Lee Sung-Ho underscored the need for a new system to guarantee human rights. The President expressed his active support to this effort and asked the Commission to take the lead in enacting the Framework Act on Human Rights and the Human Rights Education Support Act. Meanwhile, 2017 was a special year as the United Nations Human Rights Council and other treaty organizations monitored the human rights conditions in Korea. The review by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the review by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), and the Human Rights Council’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights records of all UN member states took place in May, September, and November, respectively. These organizations provided in-depth recommendations on every human rights domain, including the right to freedom and social rights. Domestically, a growing number of local governments established a human rights ordinance and operated their own human rights organizations. Several institutions were legally established