Seoul: Two South Korean experts have been elected as chairs of separate U.N. committees overseeing civil and political rights and the rights of persons with disabilities, Seoul's foreign ministry announced Tuesday. Soh Chang-rok, a professor at the graduate school of international studies at Korea University, will serve as the chair of the U.N. Human Rights Committee, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
According to Yonhap News Agency, Soh, recognized for his extensive expertise in human rights, is currently serving as an ICCPR committee member for a four-year term from 2025 to 2028. Kim Mi-yeon, who has been reelected as a member of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will take on the role of chair for this committee. Kim is noted for her significant experience in the areas of women and disability issues.
Their elections are significant as it marks the first time in 18 years that a South Korean has been chosen to lead a U.N. human rights treaty body. The last occurrence was in May 2007 when Lee Yang-hee was elected as chair of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The ministry emphasized in a release that the expertise and contributions of the newly elected chairs, along with South Korea's membership in the U.N. Human Rights Council from 2025 to 2027, are anticipated to greatly enhance the country's global standing in the realm of human rights protection and promotion.