Republic of Korea NGO Alternative Report to the UN COMMITTEE on the ELIMINATION of RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
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Republic of Korea NGO Alternative Report to the UN COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 97th session, 26 November to 14 December 2018 Contact Details: n Boram JANG, MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society +82-2-522-7284, [email protected] n Jirim KIM, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation +82-2-3675-7740, [email protected] n Jeanie KIM, Immigrants Advocacy Center GAMDONG +82-2-537-5459, [email protected] Submitted by South Korean NGO Coalition Advocates for Public Interest Law, Asan Migrant Workers Center, Dongcheon Foundation, Durebang, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, Human Rights Law Center Boda, Immigrants Advocacy Center Gamdong, MINBYUN-Lawyers for Democratic Society, Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea, Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy, Migrant Health Association in Korea WeFriends, Migrants' Trade Union, Migration and Human Rights Institute, MWTV, NANCEN Refugee Rights Center, Solidarity for Asian Human Rights and Culture, Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea, Korea Refugee Rights Network (Advocates for Public Interest Law, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, NANCEN Refugee Rights Center, Save the Children Korea, Migration To Asia Peace MAP, EcoFemme, Immigrants Advocacy Center Gamdong, Dongcheon Foundation, Korea Migrant Human Rights Center, Human Asia), Network for Universal Birth Registration (Gonggam Human Rights Law Foundation, International Child Rights Center, KoRoot, Save the Children Korea, Ansan Global Youth Support Center, MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society Children's Rights Committee, Korean Committee for UNICEF, Immigrants Advocacy Center Gamdong, Migrants Center Friend, Dongcheon Foundation, Plan Korea, Duroo) Network for the Housing Rights of Migrant Workers (Dongcheon Foundation, Duroo, Earthian Station, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, Immigrants Advocacy Center Gamdong, Korea Migrant Human Rights Center, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Migration and Human Rights Institute, Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea) Network for the Rights of Children and Adolescents with Migrant Background (GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, Solidarity for Asian Human Rights and Culture, Ansan Global Youth Support Center, The Association for Migrant Workers’ Human Rights, Immigrants Advocacy Center Gamdong, Migration and Human Rights Institute, Hope Center with Migrant Workers, Dongcheon Foundation, Catholic Migrants Center Paju Exodus, Migrant Health Association in Korea WeFriends, Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea, Transnational Asia Women's Network) Network for E-6-2 Visa Alternatives (Advocates for Public Interest Law, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, Center for Women’s Rights ‘Sallim’, Durebang, IOM Republic of Korea, Jeonbuk center for human rights of women, National Solidarity against Sexual Exploitation of Women, Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea) Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea (Bucheon Migrant Welfare Center, Global Love and Sharing, Migrant Health Association in Korea WeFriends, Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea, Seoul Migrant Workers Center, Asan Migrant Workers Center, Solidarity for Asian Human Rights and Culture, Namyangju Migrant Welfare Center, The Association for Migrant Workers’ Human Rights, Yongin Migrant Worker Shelter, Uijeongbu EXODUS Migrant Center, Incheon Migrant Worker's Center, Paju Migrant Worker Center Shalom House, Pocheon Nanum House) Independent Researchers(Kim, Hyun Mee (Yonsei University), Kim Ji Hye (Gangneung-Wonju National University), Kim, Chul-hyo (Chonbuk National University), Park, Kyung Tae(Sungkonghoe University), Lee, Kyung-sook (Gyeonggi Institute of Research and Policy Development for Migrants' Human Rights), Lee, Jeong-Eun (Changwon National University), Choi, Kae-young (Seoul National University)) 2 Table of Contents I. THE HISTORY OF RACISM IN KOREA ..................................................................................................................... 4 Ⅱ. DEFINITION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ......................................................................................................... 6 Ⅲ. RACIALLY CHARGED LAWS AND REGULATIONS ............................................................................................ 7 1. General .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice .. 11 3. Right to security of person and protection by the State against violence or bodily harm .... 12 4. Other Civil Rights ................................................................................................................................................. 19 5. Economic, social and cultural rights ............................................................................................................. 29 6. Racial Discrimination on Vulnerable Migrants ....................................................................................... 45 7. Rights of Refugees ................................................................................................................................................. 65 8. Remedies for racial discrimination .............................................................................................................. 78 IV. RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ON THE MEDIA ..................................................................................................... 81 1. News media: Biased reports that incite racism with impunity .......................................................... 81 2. Broadcast media and films: Discriminatory racial hierarchy and class based racism .......... 82 3. Internet and Social Media: Lack of regulation on web portals that disseminate videos with sexist and racist contents ......................................................................................................................................... 83 V. RACIAL DISCRIMINATION BY PARTICULAR RELIGIOUS GROUPS ......................................................... 83 1. Racially-Charged Opposition against Legislation of Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act (Government Report 32-33) .......................................................................................................................... 83 2. Abolition of Local Human Rights Ordinance due to Islamophobia Movements ...................... 86 VI. DISCRIMINATION BY CORPORATIONS AND OTHER BUSINESS ENTERPRISES .................................... 89 1. Discrimination in Employment ....................................................................................................................... 89 2. Discrimination in relation to Goods and Services ................................................................................... 89 3. Discrimination in Private Educational Institutions ............................................................................... 90 VII. HATE GROUPS, COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS (GOVERNMENT REPORT 105 -109) ............... 90 3 I. THE HISTORY OF RACISM IN KOREA Early twentieth century Korea saw discrimination against ethnic Chinese and other populations from nearby countries. However full-fledged racism started with the discrimination against military kids born to Korean women and US soldiers stationed in Korea since the end of the Second World War, especially where the father was of African descent. Such discrimination against African Americans had not been initiated by Koreans; rather it was the result of passive reflection of black-white discrimination within US armed forces. In those times, there existed a more or less visible racial hierarchy between black and white soldiers within US army bases, which was copied by Korean society. Koreans living in communities nearby army bases were informed by the discrimination of white soldiers against black soldiers. In order not to lose customers, they provided services geared towards white soldiers, whose numbers exceeded that of black soldiers. The reality was that women who worked in white-soldiers-only clubs were beaten or experienced damage to their business if mingling with black customers, and Koreans finding themselves in a situation where their white ‘customers’ practiced and favored discrimination found it difficult to treat African Americans equally. As a result Koreans ‘spontaneously’ learned and absorbed the racism prevalent in the US army. US media also contributed to racial discrimination. Prior to the recent increase of market share by Korean movies, for a long time US movies dominated the Korean movie market. The same applies to TV dramas. US TV dramas are still popular, but in the past they dominated the TV screens in Korean living rooms. These movies and TV programs were the teachers of racial discrimination. Although it is said that there have been improvements, Hollywood movies (and TV dramas) still portray black people as criminals or drug dealers, Middle Eastern people as terrorists conspiring to take over the world, Asians as shop owners with limited English skills, and South Americans are put on set as so many extras acting as pawns of dictators and finally killed at the hand of the white hero. The way Korean society views race conformed to these stereotypes and surprisingly coincides completely with the white man’s perspective. The civilized white and barbaric non-white, the developed white and underdeveloped non-white,