This March 18, 2018, photo shows a protester making a handprint during an anti-racism rally in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of South Koreans think discrimination and human rights violations in the country are serious, a survey showed Friday.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea unveiled the results of its first annual survey on human rights conditions in the country, conducted with 13,077 adults across the country between August and September in 2019.
Asked about the degree of discrimination in society, 13.7 percent of respondents said it is “very serious” while 55.4 percent answered “somewhat serious,” 69.1 percent “serious,” 29.2 percent “not serious” and 1.6 percent “not serious at all.”
Regarding the level of human rights violations, 54 percent said it is “serious” while 46 percent answered “not serious.”
As for groups they believe to be suffering most from rights violations and discrimination, 29.7 percent picked the disabled, followed by immigrants (16.4 percent), the elderly (13.4 percent) and women (13.2 percent).
Regarding groups they think to be most likely to face rights violations and discrimination, 29.6 percent chose the poor class, followed by those with low levels of education (18.9 percent), ex-convicts (16.2 percent) and non-regular workers (12.9 percent).
But 71.3 percent of respondents said they sense their own human rights are respected while 28.7 percent do not feel so.
Also, 61.4 percent said human rights are generally respected in society while 38.6 percent answered the opposite.
On changes in the human rights situation in the nation, 62.4 percent said it is improving, 15.4 percent said it is getting worse, and 22.1 percent said there is little change.
(Yonhap)
