The Human Rights Commission of Jeonbuk State officially urged the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to establish its Jeonbuk Human Rights Office as soon as possible, with the aim of more thoroughly guaranteeing the human rights access of Jeonbuk residents.

 

During its 5th regular meeting, the Commission adopted a resolution urging the establishment, strongly asserting that "a National Human Rights Commission office is absolutely essential in Jeonbuk to resolve the national imbalance in human rights and reduce the accessibility gap between regions.

 

Although the National Human Rights Commission of Korea currently operates regional offices in five major areas—Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gangwon—only Jeonbuk remains a metropolitan-level region without a human rights office.

 

The Gwangju Human Rights Office, which has been managing the four metropolitan areas of Jeonbuk, Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeju, has caused structural problems to persist, resulting in delayed on-site responses to human rights violation cases and reduced accessibility.

 

This situation has created a genuine blind spot in human rights protection, particularly for the transportation-disadvantaged, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and migrants, who are completely unable to access counseling. Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that Jeonbuk has already entered a super-aged society, as the proportion of its population aged 65 or older has exceeded 25%. With the increase in foreign workers and multicultural families, human rights issues are rapidly diversifying.

 

Jeonbuk State Human Rights Commission Chairperson Lee Gwang-cheol stated, "Guaranteeing human rights access for the socially vulnerable, including the elderly, people with disabilities, children, and foreign workers, is undoubtedly a national responsibility that can no longer be postponed." He also announced, "We will continue the discussion and response efforts for the establishment of the National Human Rights Office for the Jeonbuk region."