Human Rights Commissioner Choi Young-ae: "We Must Uphold the Value of Human Dignity During the COVID-19 Crisis"

Choi Young-ae, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Choi Young-ae, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, stated that solidarity is necessary to uphold the value of human dignity even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 30th, Chairperson Choi issued a statement saying, "The entire world is facing the unprecedented disaster of COVID-19," and emphasized, "Protecting our lives and health is both the duty of the state and a shared responsibility of our society."

She continued, "At times like this, human dignity is the most important value," and added, "The state must succeed in quarantine efforts and do its utmost to restore our daily lives. The Human Rights Commission will also seek a more active role within domestic and international solidarity with various human rights organizations to help our society overcome this crisis together."

Chairperson Choi particularly stressed, "Vulnerable groups are not receiving adequate medical treatment and care services and are socially isolated," and highlighted, "Infection prevention and appropriate medical measures for detainees living in densely populated detention facilities are also urgent." She further stated, "The government must strengthen measures for livelihoods and healthcare so that members of our society, including vulnerable groups and self-employed individuals whose daily lives have been disrupted, can endure and recover from the current crisis," and added, "It is time for not only public hospitals but also medical institutions to actively participate and pool wisdom to overcome this together."

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