Rights watchdog to issue public apology over recommendation to protect Yoon's defense rights

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has decided to issue a public apology for its recommendation to guarantee former President Yoon Suk Yeol's right to defense, which it passed during his impeachment proceedings.

The decision comes about one year and eight months after the commission approved the measure on Feb. 10 last year in a 6-4 vote, sparking widespread controversy.

At its 17th plenary session on Monday, the commission put forward and passed an amended motion titled "Rescission of the Feb. 10, 2025 plenary resolution and issuance of a public apology."

However, the portion calling for the outright rescission of the earlier resolution was dropped during deliberations. Only the part calling for the commission to reflect on the past decision and issue a formal apology in the institution's name was approved.

The amended motion passed with six votes in favor — standing commissioners Lee Suk-jin and Oh Young-geun, and non-standing commissioners So Ra-mi, Oh Wan-ho, Jo Suk-hyeon and Kim Min-mun-jeong — and four against — standing commissioner Kim Hak-ja and non-standing commissioners Kang Jeong-hye, Han Seok-hun and Kim Yong-jik — with Chair An Chang-ho abstaining.

The amended resolution states that the commission deeply regrets that its Feb. 10 last year decision shielded the defense rights of Yoon and others while ignoring the human rights of ordinary citizens harmed by the emergency martial law declaration. It includes a statement that the commission "sincerely apologizes for causing disappointment and concern to the public."

Lee Suk-jin, the lead sponsor of the motion, said the apology was not intended to erase or retroactively nullify the earlier resolution. "It is about confirming that the decision at the time did not meet the external obligations of a national human rights institution and forming a new position," she said.

Standing Commissioner Oh Young-geun said the original decision was not merely a collection of individual commissioners' views but had been established as the commission's official position. "When an official resolution receives a negative assessment, it must be addressed through an official resolution," he said.

Standing Commissioner Kim Hak-ja, however, voiced opposition, warning that repeatedly putting the same issue to a new vote and overturning previous decisions whenever the commission's membership changes could undermine the stability and predictability of its resolutions.