Rights Commission to Apologize for Recommendation to "Guarantee Yoon's Right to Defense"; Ahn Changho Abstains (Updated)

Six in favor, four against... Revoking the decision ruled out
"Politically biased" vs. "Reversing it is itself political"
Chairperson Ahn: "Not defending martial law... I regret the controversy"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has decided to apologize to the public for its recommendation to "guarantee the right to defense," which it adopted during the impeachment proceedings against former President Yoon Suk Yeol. A proposal to revoke the resolution was excluded during deliberations. Chairperson Ahn Changho abstained from the vote but said the decision was "not intended to defend martial law."

At its 17th plenary meeting on the afternoon of October 12, the NHRCK adopted a revised version of the agenda item titled "Revocation of the Plenary Committee Resolution Dated February 10, 2025, and a Resolution to Apologize to the Public." The resolution says the commission will reflect on its earlier decision and issue an apology in the institution's name. Six members voted in favor: standing commissioners Lee Sookjin and Oh Younggeun, and non-standing commissioners So Rami, Oh Wanho, Cho Sookhyun and Kim Minmunjeong. Four members voted against: standing commissioner Kim Hakja and non-standing commissioners Kang Jeonghye, Han Seokhun and Kim Yongjik. Ahn abstained.

The decision came one year and eight months after the commission adopted, by six votes to four, a recommendation to guarantee former President Yoon's right to defense on February 10 last year. The resolution drew criticism both inside and outside the NHRCK for defending Yoon and his declaration of emergency martial law. Others countered that it was a universally valid recommendation to guarantee due process, and the controversy continued.

Commission members also engaged in heated debate over whether to apologize at the meeting. Standing Commissioner Lee Sookjin said, "The NHRCK has been criticized from within for damaging its pride as a defender of human rights, and from outside as a 'committee defending insurrection.'" She explained that the agenda item was intended to confirm that the earlier resolution did not fulfill the responsibilities of a national human rights institution and to express the commission's position that it would no longer stand by that decision as its official stance.

Non-standing Commissioner So Rami said the decision at the time reflected only the views of those opposed to impeachment. "Because it included nothing of the other side's arguments, it was politically biased, and it cannot avoid the assessment that it effectively reproduced arguments intended to defend Yoon Suk Yeol," she said.

In contrast, non-standing commissioners Han Seokhun and Kang Jeonghye argued that the recommendation at the time was a universally valid call to guarantee due process in the impeachment trial, and that the current agenda item seeking to reverse it was itself political. Han also raised the issue of the president's approval for promotions of NHRCK officials in grades 3 to 5 being withheld. "I would like to ask whether it is not an infringement on the NHRCK's independence for President Lee and other political figures to take issue with the commission's decisions and delay staff promotions," he said.

Non-standing Commissioner Kim Yongjik, who opposed last year's recommendation, also opposed this apology. "The current commission's act of assigning the criminal meaning of abetting insurrection to a past resolution and apologizing in the institution's name is an entirely different matter," he said. "An apology in the institution's name undermines the constitutional principle of personal responsibility and freedom of conscience."

Ahn Changho, chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. Yonhap News

Just before the vote, Ahn said, "The NHRCK's decision was absolutely not intended to defend martial law or represent a particular political position." He added, "I regret that our sincerity was not properly conveyed and that there have been misunderstandings and controversy over our true intentions." Regarding the agenda item, he said, "I will not express a separate opinion so that the organization can be stabilized as soon as possible and carry out its role as a human rights institution."

Ahn began his term in September 2024 after former President Yoon approved his appointment. Since then, civil society groups have criticized his actions, including not only the recommendation to guarantee the right to defense but also his opposition to enacting an anti-discrimination law and his absence from the Queer Culture Festival. Opposition has also continued within the NHRCK. By July, six division-level officials had successively announced that they were relinquishing their posts in protest at Ahn's actions. All 30 departments of the commission's secretariat also issued a series of statements calling for Ahn to step down.

The civic group Joint Action to Set the National Human Rights Commission of Korea Right held a press conference in front of the NHRCK on October 12 and said it would submit a request to the Board of Audit and Inspection for a public-interest audit of Ahn. The group called for an audit into possible dereliction of duty and abuse of authority, alleging that Ahn had run the commission unilaterally and that there were indications he had given staff improper instructions on matters that did not align with his beliefs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.