Asked about the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, Moon says "Don't worry"... Citizens criticize it as "hate endorsement remarks"

President Moon Meets Religious Circles: "Aware of Concerns, Do Not Worry"
Civic Groups Criticize: "Supporting Conservative Religious Hate"
Human Rights Commission Urges Enactment of Anti-Discrimination Law as a Social Challenge

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over the senior secretaries and presidential aides meeting at the Blue House on the 31st of last month.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Amid ongoing debates over the 'Anti-Discrimination Act,' recent remarks by President Moon Jae-in during a meeting with Protestant leaders?saying "I understand the church's concerns. Do not worry"?have sparked controversy. Civic groups have raised their voices in criticism, accusing the president of "aligning with the logic of hate."

Despite growing social awareness that discrimination and hatred against sexual minorities must stop, there are criticisms that only the president and the government are going against this trend.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) reiterated its call for legislation, stating, "The Anti-Discrimination Act is an urgent task our society cannot postpone."

Earlier, on the 27th, during a meeting at the Blue House with Protestant leaders, President Moon said regarding the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, "I understand the church's concerns, so do not worry." Although not a specific answer, this could be interpreted as an intention to accept the church's stance, which has opposed the Anti-Discrimination Act.

Civic groups immediately criticized President Moon's remarks. The Coalition for the Enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act (CEDA) issued a statement on the 30th titled "Who Should the President's Message of 'Do Not Worry' Be Directed To?" and pointed out that "(President Moon) sent a message of sympathy to the conservative church community that has long used the logic of hate opposing homosexuality."

CEDA stated, "Both the National Assembly and the government, which remained silent during the 14 years of postponement of the Anti-Discrimination Act, are accomplices, and the government bears a heavy responsibility for enacting laws and policies for equality and human rights," adding, "We unanimously condemn the current government's silence on the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act and its alignment with some conservative Protestant opposition to the law."

The Justice Party, which is pushing for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, also expressed regret. Spokesperson Jo Hye-min said in a briefing on the 28th, "We regret President Moon's action of readily responding to complaints opposing the Anti-Discrimination Act, which are unrelated to quarantine cooperation," and criticized, "What the president should be concerned about is not the church's worries about the Anti-Discrimination Act but the public's concerns about cluster infections through churches."

The Coalition for the Enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act and others are holding a press conference for the '2020 Action Declaration for the Enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act' held in front of the National Assembly last July. Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, President Moon pledged to enact the Anti-Discrimination Act during his 2012 presidential campaign but abruptly withdrew the pledge during the 2017 presidential campaign.

In February of the same year, at an event, when a participant from a sexual minority group asked, "Why are homosexuals not included in gender equality policies?" President Moon avoided a direct answer by saying, "I will give you an opportunity to speak later." At that time, his supporters shouted "Later!" to stop the questioner's remarks.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has also maintained a passive stance, not providing clear answers regarding the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act.

On the 1st, Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jung met with Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon at the National Assembly to request cooperation for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act. However, Lee gave a general response, saying, "We understand the concerns of the church community well, so I hope discussions will proceed in the relevant standing committees considering those concerns."

Despite renewed calls inside and outside the National Assembly for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, there are criticisms that the government and ruling party are ignoring them.

Meanwhile, discrimination and hatred toward sexual minorities remain prevalent in Korean society. Since July, an anti-discrimination advertisement stating "Sexual minorities are part of your daily life" posted at Sinchon Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 was vandalized five times within a month of being displayed.

Former Army Sergeant Byeon Hee-soo, who underwent gender reassignment surgery, expressed her desire to continue military service as a female soldier but was forcibly discharged after the military classified her as having a "Grade 3 mental and physical disability."

In July, Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, is taking a commemorative photo with attendees at the Justice Party-Religious Community meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act. Photo by Yonhap News

As such, the need for legislation to prevent discrimination and hatred against sexual minorities is increasingly emerging. Public opinion polls also show growing support for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act.

According to the "2020 Public Perception Survey on Discrimination" conducted by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in April on 1,000 adult men and women, 88.5% agreed on the necessity of legislation to guarantee equality rights. In a public opinion poll released by the Korean Women's Development Institute in June, 87.7% of 1,500 respondents expressed support for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act.

The NHRCK reiterated that the Anti-Discrimination Act is an "urgent task that cannot be postponed" and called again for its enactment.

Choi Young-ae, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, said at the "2020 Human Rights Defenders Meeting" on the 26th of last month, "The enactment of the Equality Act (Anti-Discrimination Act) at this time is an urgent task our society faces," and added, "I hope this will be an opportunity to consider the significance of the Equality Act and discuss the role of human rights defenders in its enactment." Earlier, in June, the NHRCK officially urged the National Assembly to enact the "Act on Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination" (Equality Act).

Voices calling for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act have also emerged within the Democratic Party. On the 24th of last month, Representative Yang Kyung-sook held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall urging the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination/Equality Act, stating, "Based on the party's platform that declares 'to respect the human rights of socially vulnerable and minority groups, ensure their safety, and create a society where no difference leads to discrimination,' we urge the prompt enactment of the comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act (Equality Act)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.