Women were subjected to violence and abuse online and by public officials. LGBTI people faced discrimination in media reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, in the military and in education. Logistics companies did not provide adequate protection for delivery workers who faced elevated health risks...

Hwang Won, a former TV producer from South Korea, was not allowed to return to his home country after arriving involuntarily to North Korea on a hijacked plane on 11 December 1969. Despite repeated requests from his family, the North Korean authorities have refused to disclose information regarding...

Lee Jin-young, operator of the online library ‘Labour Books’, was found not guilty of charges under the National Security Law at the Seoul High Court on 11 April 2018. This verdict was made following an appeal by the prosecution to a ruling on 20 July 2017 which found Lee Jin-young not guilty.

Kim Hye-young lost her second appeal, as the Supreme Court of South Korea upheld her two-year prison sentence. Authorities continue to refuse her outpatient treatment for mental health conditions, however her overall health situation has improved and she is due to be released in August 2017.

Lee Jin-young is being held in solitary confinement after being formally charged under the National Security Law (NSL) for the online distribution of materials that are deemed, by South Korean authorities, to ‘benefit’ North Korea. If found guilty, Lee Jin-young could face up to seven years in...

Lee Jin-young has been arrested for the online distribution of materials that are deemed, by South Korean authorities, to ‘benefit’ North Korea. Detained since 5 January 2017, the prosecutor has until 4 February to either release or formally charge him.

Baek Nam-gi was injured critically by the use of a water cannon during a demonstration in Seoul on 14 November 2015. He suffered brain damage and remains unconscious but his condition is deteriorating. None of the officials involved in the use of the water cannons during that protest has faced...

On 26 May 2016, the High Court of Seoul upheld the two-year prison sentence of Kim Hye-young, a woman in South Korea with thyroid cancer, who was earlier arrested for taking part in a peaceful demonstration. Kim, who developed mental health problems while in detention, is going on a hunger strike...

On 29 January 2016, Kim Hye-young, a woman in South Korea with thyroid cancer, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term for taking part in a peaceful demonstration. Kim has developed mental health problems while in detention. Authorities have continued to refuse her treatment outside the...

Two human rights defenders received suspended prison sentences on 22 January for their role in protests calling for justice for the victims of the Sewol ferry accident and their families.

A woman in South Korea with thyroid cancer has developed mental health problems while in detention, after the authorities failed to give her appropriate dosages of medication. Kim Hye-young is not receiving adequate treatment, but the authorities have not allowed her to be treated outside the...

Two human rights defenders in South Korea are at risk of being imprisoned for their role in protests calling for justice for the victims of the Sewol ferry accident and their families. Their trial began on 14 October, with a sentence expected in December.

Trade union leader, Kim Jungwoo, was released on bail on 1 April pending the outcome of his appeal hearing. He was detained in June 2013 after taking part in protests in support of dismissed workers and their families. The international attention on his case, following the Urgent Action that was...