Rights watchdog adopts recommendation to guarantee Yoon’s defense right during impeachment trial

The state human rights watchdog adopted Monday a controversial recommendation to guarantee President Yoon Suk Yeol’s right to defense during his ongoing impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s (NHRCK) decision was reached during its plenary meeting amid growing demand among Yoon’s supporters that the impeached president should be guaranteed a fair trial at the Constitutional Court.

The proposal was passed with six votes in favor and four against out of 11 commissioners.

The opposition denounced the decision, calling it “the day the NHRCK died.”

“The Human Rights Commission is the last safeguard for human rights, and so it should only make recommendations related to human rights and not politically charged issues,” said Kim Yong-jik, a standing commissioner at the NHRCK.

Monday’s meeting came after an NHRCK standing commissioner proposed the recommendation as part of an agenda to address the national crisis triggered by Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year. But the commission failed to hold discussions on Jan. 13 and 20 amid strong protests from supporters of liberal opposition parties.

Earlier Monday, pro-Yoon demonstrators attempted to enter the NHRCK building in central Seoul in a bid to block protesters opposing the proposed recommendation but were scattered later after police intervened.

Yoon’s supporters have demanded the commission adopt the recommendation in his favor, whereas opposition parties and their supporters have come out against the move.

Ahead of the meeting, ruling and opposition party lawmakers visited the commission to express their opinions on the agenda.