36 NHRCK, Research on Ways to Enhance Gender-balanced Political Representation (2020). See Table: Current Status of Sectoral Implementation of the Plan to Increase Women Representation in Public Sector, 2019 in the 5th periodic report of the Republic of Korea at page 28. * The targets to be achieved in 2022: the proportions of female public officials in the upper 4th grade or higher, female officers in public organizations, female professors in public universities, and women in managerial positions in local public enterprises shall reach at least 25 percent, 23 percent, 19 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. 38 NHRCK, Policy recommendation for gender-balanced political representation (March 2020). 39 Ibid. 40 According to Analysis II of Prosecution Statistics on Violence against Women: With a Focus on Digital Sexual Violence Crimes and False Allegations of Sexual Violence released by the Korea Women’s Development Institute in 2000, the conviction rate for cases where sexual violence suspects accused victims of making a false allegation of sexual violence is 5.9 percent, which is less than the rate for other crimes, whereas the ratio of the ‘no charges’ for non-indictment (54.5 percent) is more than twice as high as that in other crimes. Such fact raises a concern that false allegations of sexual violence are being misused to silence victims. 41 A media outlet carried out a complete enumeration survey of written judgements on digital sex crimes delivered by nationwide courts from April to August 2022. The findings of the survey show that, in cases of possession, distribution, and display of sexual exploitation materials, illegal filming, and distribution of obscene materials, only 20 prison sentences including imprisonment and imprisonment without prison labor (7.3 percent) were pronounced, compared to 169 suspended sentences (61.5 percent), 80 monetary penalties (29.1 percent), and 6 deferred sentences (2.2 percent), indicating that the courts tend to show leniency toward perpetrators based on the defendant’s remorse. (Kyunghyang Shinmun, Sex Offenders’ Big Talk, “The Judiciary Is on My Side”, Is Not Empty Talk, 19 September 2022) 42 In particular, abortions other than ones performed under Article 14 (Limited Permission for Induced Abortion – Pregnancy Resulting from Rape, Etc.,) of the Mother and Child Health Act are not subject to national health insurance service. This leads to a decrease in the accessibility of medical institutions and abortion-related information for women seeking abortions, thereby making an impediment to safe pregnancy termination. 43 NHRCK, The NHRCK written submission on the 4th cycle of Universal Periodic Review for the Republic of Korea (July 2022). 44 Article 2 (Definitions) of the Act on Counter-terrorism for the Protection of Citizens and Public Security: The terms used in this Act are defined as follows: 3. The term “terrorist suspect” means a member of a terrorist group, a person who has propagated a terrorist group, raised or contributed funds for terrorism, or engaged in other activities of preparing, conspiring, propagandizing, or instigating terrorism, or a person who has a good ground to be suspected of having performed such activities. 45 Previously, under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act, wiretapping was allowed only when national security was expected to be put in grave danger. 46 NHRCK, Opinion on the amendment of the Act on Counter-terrorism for the Protection of Citizens and Public Security (October 2003). 37 31