▲ National Human Rights Commission of Korea
A third official at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has announced their resignation from their position in opposition to the actions of Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho.
Kwon Hyeok-jang, the Director of Planning and Finance at the NHRCK, posted a message on the internal bulletin board this morning (June 22) titled, "Resigning from my position as director and requesting the Chairperson to make a decision regarding his future."
The Director of Planning and Finance is a division-director-level official at the commission.
"I have tried to prevent the commission's decline and the damage that would be passed on to the staff while staying in this position, but I have concluded that it is no longer possible," Kwon stated. "I intend to step down from my director position in the upcoming July personnel reshuffle."
Kwon added, "The Chairperson claims that serving out his term is a way to protect the independence of the NHRCK and a calling for its normalization, but the very person who has abandoned the independence and existential value of the commission is the Chairperson himself. The place that should be the last bastion of human rights has instead become an outpost for the regression of human rights."
Pointing to the commission's passage of an agenda last February to "guarantee the defense rights of Yoon Suk Yeol" and its recent decision not to participate in the Queer Culture Festival, Kwon expressed his frustration, saying, "Under an administration where the liquidation of 'insurrection' is a key task, the organization, personnel, and budget are completely blocked, leaving us at a loss as to how or where to begin solving these problems."
The NHRCK has seen a series of resignations from division-director-level officials this month.
Previously, Kim Jae-seok, Director of the Military Human Rights Protection Division, announced his resignation on the 15th, followed by Park Gwang-woo, Director of the Discrimination Correction Division, on the 19th.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.