Page 257 - 2018 Defense White Paper

rights protection off icers to visit units for investigations, and build a system of cooperation to

remove potential interference with military command and security.
To ensure the independence, transparency, and reliability of human rights protection for
servicemembers, the MND is currently working toward introducing human rights protection

off icers within the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. They will be given the
authority to visit and investigate units, and attend investigations and interrogations by military
investigators to probe incidents taking place within the military. To this end, the MND is

currently discussing an amendment to the National Human Rights Commission Act with the
commission itself.

| Reinforcing Human Rights Education for Military Personnel | The goal of human rights
education in the military is to raise servicemembers’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities
as “citizens in uniforms,” and spread a barracks culture driven by respect for human rights. To
this end, the MND established a medium-term plan (f ive years) on human rights education. In

addition, the MND and each military service have been implementing systemic education policies
under close cooperation. Specif ic policies include human rights education tailored to service

cycles and local circumstances; invitational lectures by human rights experts for commanding
off icers; capability-building sessions for human rights workers and instructors in the healthcare,
investigation, and correction sectors; the promotion of online human rights education; and the
development and distribution of human rights education contents that involve participation of
Chapter 6
servicemembers. Through these efforts, the MND will foster a barracks culture that respects the
dignity, honor, and rights of military personnel.

| Improving the Human Rights Protection System
for Servicemembers | In keeping with the changes
in the human rights awareness of servicemembers, the

MND has been reforming the related statutes while
promoting cooperation with outside entities and
improving the human rights protection system currently National Defense Human Rights

in place. To prevent the violation of servicemembers’ Monitoring Group Conference (June 2018)
human rights, it will reinforce the human rights
impact assessment of related statutes and systems, systematize the human rights counseling

Section 3 Reinforcing the Human Rights Protection for Servicemembers 255