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Archive by category Human Rights

Telegram Designates Child Protection Officer to Respond to Sexually Exploitative Materials: S. Korean Regulator

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The global messaging service Telegram has designated an officer in charge of protecting underage users from illicit content amid criticism over its passive response against sexually exploitative materials circulating on the platform, South Korea’s media regulator said Tuesday. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said Telegram made the designation and [...]

Incheon Queer Culture Festival Held Amid Counter-Protests

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The 7th Incheon Queer Culture Festival was held on November 2 near Bupyeong Station in Incheon’s Bupyeong District, drawing approximately 300 participants from LGBTQ+ and progressive civic groups, according to police estimates. Rainbow flags adorned the festival grounds as attendees browsed through booths selling commemorative items such as handkerchiefs and [...]

Disabled Rights Advocates in South Korea Submit Hand-Drawn Petitions for Pictorial Ballots

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – A group of people with developmental disabilities submitted hand-drawn petitions to a Seoul court on October 29, just days before a crucial appeals court ruling on their lawsuit demanding pictorial ballots to ensure their voting rights. Korea People First and other disability rights organizations displayed the artistic petitions during a [...]

Watchdog Rules Denial of Space Rental for LGBT Festival Violates Right to Equality

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Korea Bizwire) –The national human rights watchdog determined Monday that denying rental spaces for a festival for sexual minorities on the grounds of potential conflicts with opposition groups constitutes a discriminatory act. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued the decision against the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul city [...]

S. Korea Elected to U.N. Human Rights Council for Sixth Time

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2025-2027 term on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to actively participate in international efforts to address North Korean and other human rights issues. The U.N. General Assembly elected South Korea to the 47-member council for a sixth [...]

Cabinet Passes New Bill to Criminalize Even Possession of Deepfake Porn

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — The Cabinet meeting on Thursday approved a new bill calling for tougher punishment for digital sex crimes using deepfake technologies. The revision of the sexual crimes punishment law calls for punishing people caught possessing, purchasing, storing or viewing deepfake sexual materials and other fabricated videos with up to three [...]

South Korean Streaming Services Face Scrutiny Over Consumer Rights

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean consumers are grappling with inconvenient cancellation processes and limited refund policies in the country’s burgeoning video streaming market, according to a recent government investigation. The Korea Consumer Agency and Democratic Party lawmaker Min Byoung-dug released findings on October 8 from their joint study of six major streaming providers, including [...]

Rights Watchdog Rules in Favor of Mobile Phone Ban in Schools

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The state human rights watchdog has ruled in favor of a high school’s ban on the use of mobile phones by its students on campus, reversing its previous position that such a ban violates their human rights. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) made the controversial decision [...]

Tensions Rise as Queer Festival and Opponents Clash in South Korean City

DAEGU, Sept. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – With just a week to go before the Daegu Queer Culture Festival, tensions are escalating as both organizers and opponents have turned to the courts, filing injunctions that underscore the deeply divisive nature of LGBTQ+ rights in this conservative city. On September 19, the festival’s organizing committee submitted an emergency [...]

Syrian Refugee’s Bittersweet Reunion Highlights Family Separation Struggles in South Korea

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – For Ahmed Lababidi, a 31-year-old Syrian refugee who fled forced military conscription in 2012, January marked a bittersweet milestone. After 12 years in South Korea, Lababidi, who uses the Korean name La Yeonu, finally reunited with his family in Turkey, only to find that time had transformed them into near-strangers. [...]