Human Rights Institutionalisation at the Local Level: A Case Study of Sub-National Human Rights Commissions in Korea

Over the past decade, all upper-level (regional) Korean sub-national governments and a large number of lower-level (municipal) governments have passed ordinances mandating the establishment of local human rights commissions. Many of these commissions have now been set up and operating for several years. In this case study, we critically examine the development and work of these commissions, with a particular focus on six aspects: personnel; functions; norms; independence; level of activity, and relationships with other relevant actors. These areas were chosen for analysis because they correspond to institutional aspects that have widely been viewed as important for determining the effectiveness of human rights institutions at the national level, and we argue that they are likely to be of similar importance at the sub-national level. For each of these areas, we examine the choices made and the major challenges faced, and contextualise within the standards established for national human rights institutions and experiences in other jurisdictions. The case study is based primarily on examination of a mix of primary source documents and secondary Korean-language research on the topic.