National Human Rights Commission of Korea to Focus on Gender-Based Discrimination in Job Interviews
Admin GHRTV
20-01-2023
Jasmine Velasquez
East Asia and Human Rights Researcher
Global Human Rights Defence
From the 19th of January, 2023, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea will focus on receiving intensive human rights counselling and complaints about cases of gender discrimination during recruitment interviews (Kim, 2023). Victims of gender discrimination during job interviews can now receive counselling from a professional counsellor at the Human Rights Counseling and Coordination Center on the procedures for handling complaints about gender discrimination and how to remedy them (Kim, 2023).
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has recently given several recommendations on cases of sexual harassment and discrimination during job interviews. Since then, numerous media outlets and civic groups have shown outrage at the discriminatory practices that harass job seekers, urging government authorities to prepare countermeasures and remedies for victims (Kim, 2023).
The Human Rights Commission has stated that the practice of making sexist or sexually harassing remarks unrelated to the job during interviews as a serious act of gender discrimination and a human rights violation (Kim, 2023). In international human rights law, discrimination is a violation of Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which South Korea ratified in 1990 (Ratification Status by Country).
Below is the relevant information in order to receive counselling or submit complaints from the Commission if you have experienced gender-based discrimination in the job interview process in South Korea:
Telephone consultation: 1331 (without area code)
Website: www.humanrights.go.kr
Email: hoso@humanrights.go.kr
Mail: 10th floor, Nara Kium Jeo-dong Bldg., 340 Samil-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
Fax: 02-2125-9811~2
Sources and further reading:
Kim G, “인권위, 채용 면접 시 성차별 사례 집중 인권상담 및 진정 접수” (Law Leader, January 20, 2023) <http://www.lawleader.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=10070> accessed January 20, 2023.
“Ratification Status by Country” (United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body Database) <https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=141&Lang=EN> accessed January 20, 2023.
