National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2020 Many activities and efforts were made to strengthen the preventative monitoring system so that the rights of various vulnerable groups who are exposed to social discrimination and exclusion ‒ women, persons with disabilities, children, foreigners, and low-income persons ‒ can be effectively guaranteed, to realize equality before the law, and to achieve an equal society that provides a minimum social safety net. In the area of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and women’s rights, the Commission responded to some high-impact issues in a timely manner. It carried out an ex officio investigation into the sexual harassment claim against late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, recommended the relevant organizations to protect the victim, and make institutional improvements to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in the future. In reference to the government’s proposed revisions to the Criminal Act and the Mother and Child Health Act, it expressed opinion that it would be desirable to decriminalize abortion. Along with these efforts, the Commission prioritized legal and institutional improvements to promote gender equality in political representation. It also carried out a survey on the public's perception of sexual harassment to inform tailored intervention strategies to prevent and regulate sexual harassment. The Commission had continuously called for sign language interpretation to guarantee the right to access information for hearing-impaired people. Thanks to such efforts, sign language interpretation has now become a norm on some television programs. Also, on eight different occasions, it had made recommendations to address the limitations faced by persons with severe disabilities who are 65 years or older in getting home care assistance program. The Commission’s multi-year effort finally paid off, with the related law revised in 2020. The Commission conducted factual surveys of human rights abuses against persons with disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys provided an overall picture of abuses and violations, which had previously been reported on an individual basis. At the same time, it highlighted the seriousness of human rights conditions facing people with developmental disabilities. The findings of the surveys will be used as baseline data for future policy and institutional recommendations. Meanwhile, the Commission recommended that specific plans be included in the Five-year National Mental Health Plan to deinstitutionalize persons with mental disabilities and bring them 34