This is a historic day for South Korean politics and this country as a whole...
globally, today is the eve of a very historic day for the human race.
Sixty-eight years ago, on December tenth, the UN General Assembly adopted a universal
standard of human rights for everyone on the planet -- regardless of gender, race, religion
or social status.
Human Rights Day as commemorated in Korea: Our News Feature tonight with Oh Sooyoung.
Korea is commemorating Human Rights Day,... celebrating freedom and equality in rights
and dignity.
Roughly 300 people have gathered in western Seoul to mark the occasion with a ceremony
and live music performances.
Human Rights Day has been observed every year on December 10th since 1948, when the United
Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaiming that
freedom, equal rights and dignity are inherent to all people.
For Korea, growth as a liberal democracy has brought an expansion of human rights,... after
the country broke free from Japan's brutal occupation in the early to mid-20th century
and the public initiated a series of nationwide movements against military rule.
Upon joining the United Nations in 1991, Korea ratified key human rights conventions on the
protection of civil and political rights,... as well as the rights of children, migrant
workers and people with disabilities.
Even greater progress was made when the Kim Dae-jung administration enacted a human rights
law in 2001 that laid the groundwork for the establishment of the National Human Rights
Commission.
"We investigate and help resolve violations or discrimination cases, and review government
policies and laws from a human rights perspective to make recommendations."
To share how governments can better protect human rights for all sectors of society, officials
and experts from around the world gathered at a forum in Seoul.
They emphasized the role of regional governments to institutionalize human rights in administrative
policies.
"Regional authorities are very often responsible for providing social services.
And there discrimination can happen very easily if you're not aware that you have a problem
and if you're not aware that, as a local authority, you have a responsibility."
To further raise awareness of human rights issues and share the progress seen over the
years,... there are various campaigns popping up around the country.
"Here, at Seoul Citizens' Hall, visitors can learn more about their basic rights by working
their way through a maze."
There are five challenges that give visitors the chance to reflect on everyday human rights
abuses that often go unnoticed.
Along the way, visitors can read the articles of the Human Rights Declaration printed on
the walls.
"I realized that there are lots of cases in my daily life where I don't consider or uphold
other people's human rights.
I hope I can change that."
Meanwhile, in Seoul's major shopping district of Myeong-dong, there's a special booth that
offers a break from the chilly weather, with a hot drink and a handwarmer.
People can also warm up by playing an interactive game that displays the types of discrimination
that are rampant in daily life.
"Protecting the rights of minorities is what human rights is truly about.
I hope we can help people with disabilities enjoy the basic right to move around freely
on public transportation."
The human rights commission also has representatives available to answer questions.
"On Human Rights Day and the 15th anniversary of our commission this week, we hope the campaign
will help us engage with the average citizen and put to rest the thought that human rights
is a difficult, far-off concept."
With various ways to reflect upon the most basic and inalienable rights to humankind,
Koreans are celebrating not only the historic declaration made
68 years ago but also the steady progress the country has made in pursuit of a mature,
democratic society.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.