Eradicating Violence and Securing Labor Rights for Persons with Disabilities: A Call to Action
— NHRCK urges structural reforms to prevent abuse, guarantee due process, and safeguard dignity in the workplace —
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho; hereinafter "NHRCK") explicitly defines violence against persons with disabilities, particularly gender-based violence against women with disabilities, as a structural tragedy in our society. The Commission urges the police to guarantee the right to make a statement during criminal proceedings for victims with disabilities, and calls on the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which oversees Standard Workplaces for Persons with Disabilities, to implement effective institutional reforms to eliminate and prevent such violence.
□ Incidents of violence against persons with disabilities continue to erupt across various sectors of our society. Abuse occurs indiscriminately regardless of the setting:
At residential facilities, facility heads have committed sexual violence against women with disabilities;
At salt farms, individuals with disabilities have suffered years of illegal confinement and unpaid forced labor; and
At "Standard Workplaces for Persons with Disabilities", institutions certified as model workplaces, acts of sexual violence have occurred.
○ In particular, frequent media reports on gender-based violence targeting women with disabilities, who are at a highly vulnerable position due to the intersectional discrimination of both disability and gender, serves as a stark wake-up call for our society.
□ In 2024, following an ex-officio investigation, the NHRCK issued recommendations to investigative agencies to guarantee the right to make a statement of persons with disabilities during criminal procedures. However, systemic issues persist at investigation scenes, including:
Failure to ensure the presence of trusted supportive persons and statement assistants; and
Insufficient efforts to prevent secondary victimization.
○ The NHRCK reiterates that law enforcement agencies must make rigorous efforts to safeguard the procedural rights of victims with disabilities. This includes guaranteeing the presence of trusted supportive persons and statement assistants, providing tailored communication support, and mandating the involvement of specialized investigators when interrogating persons with developmental disabilities.
□ Labor is more than a means of livelihood for persons with disabilities; it serves as a gateway to society and the foundation for self-reliance and welfare. "Standard Workplaces for Persons with Disabilities" are designed to offer employment and accessible facilities to individuals who face barriers in the general labor market. Because the State actively supports these workplaces with establishment and operational grants exceeding up to 1 billion KRW, thorough national oversight and management of these institutions are paramount. The NHRCK has previously recommended measures such as strengthening human rights education to prevent the recurrence of violence in these certified workplaces.
□ Nevertheless, the recurring violence within Standard Workplaces underscores a profound lack of overall oversight and supervision. A central flaw lies in the criteria for revocation of certification. Under the current system, certification can only be revoked if major human rights violations occur "three or more times within a two-year period." Furthermore, Standard Workplaces are currently excluded from the list of mandatory reporting institutions under the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, making internal abuse difficult to expose externally. These institutional loopholes actively contribute to ongoing violence against persons with disabilities.
□ To fundamentally prevent violence against persons with disabilities in Standard Workplaces, comprehensive legislative and policy reforms must be implemented. These should include:
Immediate revocation of certification and clawback of state subsidies upon confirmation of severe human rights violations;
Designation of Standard Workplaces as mandatory reporting institutions for disability abuse; and
Mandatory periodic human rights audits that include confidential individual interviews with workers with disabilities.
○ Alongside these structural reforms, robust victim support services and ongoing assistance for existing employees with disabilities must be provided concurrently.
□ Through monitoring and complaint investigations, the NHRCK will fulfill its role in ensuring that the police meet their obligations to protect the procedural rights of victims with disabilities, and that the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities swiftly execute necessary institutional reforms. Through these efforts, we hope our society will eradicate violence against persons with disabilities and build a workplace environment including Standard Workplaces that substantively respects their right to work.
August 10, 2026
Ahn Chang-ho
Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
