This file photo shows people displaying signs supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at the Seoul Queer Culture Festival at Seoul Plaza in central Seoul on July 14, 2018. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The state human rights watchdog is calling on the cabinet to add categories about sexual minorities to government statistics and surveys that form the basis of making public policy.
The the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) recently passed a policy recommendation to prevent hatred and discrimination against transgender individuals at last week’s session of the standing committee, calling upon the Prime Minister to consider sexual minorities in statistical surveys conducted by central administrative departments, public statistics agencies and their sub-organs.
The NHRCK plans to request the creation of new research items designed to accommodate sexual minorities including transgender individuals in statistical surveys conducted by four major government offices.
These recent initiatives are driven by recent events including the forced discharge of late Army staff sergeant Byun Hee-soo and a transgender college freshman’s renunciation of admittance at a women’s university, which raised serious questions about hatred and discrimination towards sexual minorities in the country.
The NHRCK was alerted by the fact that the government hasn’t taken any effort to conduct even baseline demographic research on sexual minorities.
The organization plans to emphasize the fact that including sexual minorities in these surveys is critical to designating them as an exclusive demographic group, thereby paving the way for the prevention of hatred and discrimination against them.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
