National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2020 human rights violations in a timely manner, issuing five recommendations ‒ regarding limited access to information for people with disabilities, excessive disclosure of personal information of infected persons, wristbands, and discrimination in supporting social minorities ‒ and publishing ten statements. Also, given the possibility that the pandemic might last longer than anticipated, the Commission established and operated the COVID-19 Task Force and announced a COVID-19 Activity Progress Report. Based on in-depth reviews of violations of the right to information and basic rights, challenges in protecting vulnerable groups, and other issues that the task force helped identify, it will propose ways to improve institutional arrangements in a way that balances sustained pandemic prevention measures with respect for basic rights. In addition, as the nation’s human rights watchdog, it quickly provided translation of 15 guidance and reports that the United Nations and other international organizations developed on the human rights dimensions of the COVID-19 as they pertain to prisoners, the elderly, children, and immigrants, among others. It distributed the translated materials to the relevant government agencies in Korea and abroad, as well as local governments so that COVID-19 responses and policies can be more aligned with international human rights standards. Statement regarding excessive disclosure of personal information of confirmed coronavirus patients Concerns were raised that the disclosure by the central and local governments of COVID-19 patients’ travel histories led to excessive exposure of their personal information. This caused patients to become targets of criticism, mockery, and hate. While recognizing the need to disclose information on patients’ times and places of visit, the Commission found it concerning that disclosing the detailed travel histories of all infected persons could cause symptomatic persons to become reluctant to report their symptoms or to take COVID tests for privacy reasons. In a statement announced on March 9, the Commission suggested that, instead of disclosing travel histories of an individual infected with COVID-19 along with his or her personal information, the disclosure should be restricted to the places and times of visits by COVID-19 cases. The Commission further recommended the public health authorities to disclose the status of disinfection and quarantine measures taken for the facilities or business establishments visited 26