Part 3 | Key Activities
The findings indicated violations of detainees’ health rights and their right to receive proper
medical care: 1) the medical budget per detainee in correctional facilities is only 12% of the
per capita medical expenses in Korea; 2) there is a shortage of medical specialists compared
to facilities’ capacity; 3) the proportion of mentally ill detainees is increasing and there is
high demand for mental health care, but the response is limited; 4) the use of remote medical
treatment and temporary suspension of execution of sentences (pretrial detention) is not being
effectively utilized; 5) there is insufficient temperature control in the living environment and
hot water supply during winter is insufficient; and 6) the outdoor exercise time provided for
detainees does not meet international standards.
Based on the findings of 2021, on May 13, the Commission recommended to the Minister of
Justice the necessary institutional improvements to guarantee detainees’ access to medical care,
health rights, and the right to live with dignity. Additionally, the Commission recommended
the Ministry of Planning and Finance to make every effort to reflect the budget required for
expanding medical resources and personnel within correctional facilities.
The Commission recommended the Fourth National Action Plan for the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights (NAP) to the President (primary responsibility: Minister of
Justice) on July 11. The recommendations under the Fourth NAP were developed following
five meetings of the Fourth NAP Recommendation Promotion Planning Team, composed of
Korean and international human rights experts, 21 consultation meetings with civil society
organizations in 19 areas of human rights, and were decided through deliberation by the Plenary
Committee.
Article 71 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, unanimously adopted at
the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria, which marked the 45th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recommended that each country
develop a National Action Plan (NAP) for human rights. A comprehensive, cross-national,
and medium- to long-term plan for protecting and promoting human rights, the NAP aims to
improve human rights-related laws, institutions, and practices to contribute to the substantive
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Part 3 | Key Activities
C. Recommendation of the Fourth National Action Plan for the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2023-2027)