National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2020 Chapter 4 Assessment and Challenges The spread of COVID-19 in 2020 caused the entire world to be threatened for their lives and safety, and to experience social and economic crises. Despite being praised for its relative success in preventing the spread of the pandemic, Korea saw human rights issues emerge in that course, especially privacy infringement and lack of social safety nets for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, migrants, and older persons. To prevent social stigma and protect privacy, the Commission issued a timely chairperson’s statement in response to key emerging issues, playing a decisive role in the authorities’ changing their guidelines on disclosure of travel histories of confirmed COVID-19 patients. It also made a recommendation to local governments to not exclude foreign residents from getting emergency relief payments, made an on-site inspection of a cohort quarantine measure at a mental hospital, recommended sign language interpretation to guarantee the right of access to information of hearing-impaired people, carried out a factual survey of human rights violations experienced by persons with disabilities under the COVID-19 situation, and issued a statement to protect the basic rights of older persons. In response to human rights abuses associated with the spread and extension of COVID-19, the Commission launched a COVID-19 special task force to examine the issues and to identify necessary institutional improvements by area. The Commission also responded actively to deepening hate speech and discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It announced a declaration calling for a self-regulatory approach towards hate speech jointly with the education and the press/media communities and carried out a variety of educational and promotional activities. With a view to fostering a society where diversity is respected and no one is discriminated, the Commission reviewed key issues related to an equality law and held meetings with human rights and civil society groups to develop a draft equality law. In June, it expressed opinion to the National Assembly that there is a need for an equality law to be quickly enacted. The Commission continued to support legislation on multiple fronts, promoting the intent of the law and getting 32