NHRCK Discriminates On Basis of Academic Background

It was revealed that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK, President Cho Young-hwang), which has urged the abolition of academic background criteria in recruiting employees for public institutions, adopted the criteria in recruiting its own employees.

NHRCK restricted applicants’ qualifications equal or higher than high school graduates when it recruited specially designated officials from level four (senior officer) to level nine (petty official) for the chief positions of its Busan and Gwangju regional offices and their officials

The qualifications for the chief positions of the regional offices (level four official) were restricted to lawyers with more than seven years work experience in the related area, doctors who have more than five years human rights-related work experience, people who have master’s degree and have more than nine years human rights-related work experience, people who have bachelor’s degrees and have more than 12 years human rights-related work experience, and officials who are higher than level 5 (officer level) and more than five years human rights-related work experience.

The qualifications for common employees of the regional offices were restricted to people who have bachelor’s degree, people who graduated from junior college and have more than three years human rights-related work experience, and officials who are higher than level eight (second to the lowest level) and have more than three years human rights-related work experience.

Last month, the NHRCK said that restricting academic background criteria for level eight and nine maritime affairs officials to “above high school graduates” was discrimination on the basis of academic background.

NHRCK has been investigating placement discrimination cases at 67 national and public institutions, focusing on discrimination on the basis of academic background and age since last month.

NHRCK Discrimination Investigation Bureau chief Ahn Jong-cheol explained, “We have to follow the rules of the Civil Service Commission,” and added, “We discussed the abolition of academic background criteria at this time, but the decision was delayed. We agreed to abolish the criteria starting from the next recruitment.”

Yi-Young Cho lycho@donga.com