Yoon's defense rights debate

[Anchor]

Today (1.13), at the National Human Rights Commission, a proposal to guarantee the right to defense for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently undergoing impeachment proceedings, has sparked significant controversy.

As the Human Rights Commission attempted to present this proposal to the plenary session, citizen groups and Human Rights Commission staff strongly protested, leading to the cancellation of the meeting itself.

Reporter Moon Ye-seul has the details.

[Report]

[“Withdraw it! Withdraw it! Withdraw it.”]

The plenary session of the National Human Rights Commission turned chaotic.

Citizen groups and Human Rights Commission staff blocked the human rights commissioners from entering the meeting room.

The protest arose when the Human Rights Commission attempted to present a recommendation that included guaranteeing the right to defense for President Yoon Suk Yeol.

This recommendation contained provisions to ensure the right to defense for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is under investigation for charges of insurrection.

Additionally, it included recommendations against the excessive issuance of arrest and detention warrants, based on the principle of presumption of innocence.

After news broke that the recommendation would be presented to the plenary session of the Human Rights Commission, significant controversy ensued.

A group of constitutional scholars stated, “It is difficult to recognize the human rights relevance of the recommendation, and it justifies martial law,” calling it “extremely inappropriate.”

Calls for the resignation of the five human rights commissioners who proposed the agenda and Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho were widespread.

[Moon Jeong-ho/Head of the National Human Rights Commission branch of the National Public Officials Union: “There is a very dangerous intention to reduce the National Human Rights Commission to a committee that supports insurrection.”]

Kim Yong-won, the standing commissioner who led the proposal, engaged in a heated exchange with those trying to block the meeting.

[Kim Yong-won/National Human Rights Commission Standing Commissioner: “(What you are saying now is that you support martial law.) Whether that constitutes a violation of the constitution is a matter for the Constitutional Court to decide.”]

Ultimately, Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho was unable to even enter the meeting room, and the meeting was canceled.

The Human Rights Commission has decided to discuss the proposal again next week, and Chairperson Ahn responded to protesting opposition lawmakers, saying, “I will work hard to reach a good conclusion.”

This is KBS News, Moon Ye-seul.