Measuring national human rights: A reflection on Korean experiences

Human Rights Quarterly

Volumn 34, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 986-1020

  Koo, Jeong Woo ^a   Kong, Suk Ki ^b   Chung, Chinsung ^a  

^a Sungkyunkwan University   (South Korea)

^b Seoul National University Asia Center   (South Korea)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

HUMAN RIGHTS; POLITICAL RELATIONS; STATE-LOCAL RELATIONS; STRATEGIC APPROACH; TREND ANALYSIS;

KOREA;

EID: 84869037758     PISSN: 02750392     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1353/hrq.2012.0071     Document Type: Article

References (74)

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2. Lars Schoultz, Human Rights and United States Policy Toward Latin America (1981).
3. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).
4. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).
5. All references to Korea in the text of this article refer to the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
6. Ian Neary, Human Rights in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan 68-98 (2002).
7. Ian Neary, Human Rights in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan 68-98 (2002).
8. See Michael S. Stohl, Counterterrorism and Repression, in The Root Causes of Terrorism 57, 67 (Louise Richardson ed., 2006) (referring specifically to the propaganda value of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuses for Al Qaeda).
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11. Raymond D. Gastil, Freedom in the World: Political Rights and Civil Liberties 1978. 10 Hum. Rts. Q. 214 (1988).
12. Charles Humana, World Human Rights Guide (1st ed. 1984).
13. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).
14. Charles Humana, World Human Rights Guide (1st ed. 1984).
15. Charles Humana, World Human Rights Guide (1st ed. 1984).
16. Robert Justin Goldstein, The Limitations of Using Quantitative Data in Studying Human Rights Abuses, 8 Hum. Rts. Q. 607 (1986).
17. See Rhoda E. Howard & Jack Donnelly, Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Political Regimes, 80 Am. Pol. Sci. Rev. 801 (1986).
18. See Rhoda E. Howard & Jack Donnelly, Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Political Regimes, 80 Am. Pol. Sci. Rev. 801 (1986).
19. See Matthew C. R. Craven, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Perspective on Its Development 30-34 (1995).
20. See Matthew C. R. Craven, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Perspective on Its Development 30-34 (1995).
21. The most recent CO issued by the CESCR for South Korea was released in November 2009, but it was not considered for this study because it does not fall within the observation period of the study.
22. These concerns are enumerated in two tables and are available upon request.
23. U.N. Committee on Civil and Political Rights, Consideration of Reports Submitted by State Parties Under Article 40 of the Covenant, U.N. GAOR, Hum. Rts. Comm., 88th Sess., ¶ 14, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/KOR/CO/3 (2006) (hereinafter Reports Submitted by State Parties Under Article 40).
24. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 47th Sess., ¶ 481, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/47/40 (1992) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 47th Sess.).
25. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 47th Sess., ¶ 481, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/47/40 (1992) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 47th Sess.).
26. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 40, ¶ 147, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/55/40, Vol. I (2000) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 55th Sess.).
27. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 40, ¶ 147, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/55/40, Vol. I (2000) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 55th Sess.).
28. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
29. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
30. Consideration of Reports Submitted by State Parties under Articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., ¶ 21, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/1/ Add.59 (2001).
31. Consideration of Reports Submitted by State Parties under Articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., ¶ 21, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/1/ Add.59 (2001).
32. Consideration of Reports Submitted by State Parties under Articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., ¶ 21, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/1/ Add.59 (2001).
33. David L. Cingranelli & David L. Richards, Measuring the Level, Pattern, and Sequence of Government Respect for Physical Integrity Rights, 43 Int'l Stud. Q. 407 (1999).
34. Jeong-Woo Koo & Francisco O. Ramirez, National Incorporation of Global Human Rights: Worldwide Adoptions of National Human Rights Institutions, 1966-2004, 87 Soc. Forces 197 (2009).
35. Jeong-Woo Koo & Francisco O. Ramirez, National Incorporation of Global Human Rights: Worldwide Adoptions of National Human Rights Institutions, 1966-2004, 87 Soc. Forces 197 (2009).
36. See Matthew C. R. Craven, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Perspective on Its Development 30-34 (1995).
37. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).
38. Rennie J. Moon & Jeong-Woo Koo, Global Citizenship and Human Rights: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Studies and Ethics Textbooks in the Republic of Korea, 55 Comp. Educ. Rev. 574 (2011).
39. Suk-Ki Kong, Transnational Mobilization to Empower Local Activism: A Comparison of the Korean Human Rights and Environmental Movements (2006).
40. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 40, ¶ 147, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/55/40, Vol. I (2000) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 55th Sess.).
41. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 40, ¶ 147, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/55/40, Vol. I (2000) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 55th Sess.).
42. Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 40, ¶ 147, U.N. Doc. CCPR/A/55/40, Vol. I (2000) (hereinafter Report of the Human Rights Committee 55th Sess.).
43. In his State of the Union Address in 1944, Roosevelt urged the Congress to enact a "second Bill of Rights" that would have included the right to a useful and remunerative job, the right to adequate food and clothing, the right of farmers to a decent living, the right of businessmen to fair trade, the right of families to decent homes, the right to good health, the right to protection from economic fears including unemployment, and the right to good education. See Daniel J. Whelan & Jack Donnelly, The West, Economic and Social Rights, and the Global Human Rights Regime: Setting the Record Straight, 29 Hum. Rts. Q. 908 (2007).
44. Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice (2d ed. 2003).
45. Hagen Koo, Middle Classes, Democratization, and Class Formation: The Case of South Korea, 20 Theory & Soc. 485 (1991).
46. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
47. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
48. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
49. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
50. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
51. General Comment No. 15, Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, U.N. ESCOR, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cult. Rts., 29th Sess., Agenda item 3, ¶ 12, U.N. Doc. E/C.12 (1995).
52. Two lines of criticisms have appeared. The first line, as a more fundamental criticism, casts doubts on the utility of indices that aggregate different measures of a property because a single index "obscures any patterns of interaction among the component variables, reducing rather than increasing the information available. " Russel Lawrence Barsh, Measuring Human Rights: Problems of Methodology and Purpose, 15 Hum. Rts. Q. 87, 102 (1993). The second line that concurs with the index approach contends that indices may be reliable only if the components are properly weighted.
53. Two lines of criticisms have appeared. The first line, as a more fundamental criticism, casts doubts on the utility of indices that aggregate different measures of a property because a single index "obscures any patterns of interaction among the component variables, reducing rather than increasing the information available. " Russel Lawrence Barsh, Measuring Human Rights: Problems of Methodology and Purpose, 15 Hum. Rts. Q. 87, 102 (1993). The second line that concurs with the index approach contends that indices may be reliable only if the components are properly weighted.
54. Damodar Gujarati, Essentials of Econometrics (1999).
55. When binary measures show no changes over time-e.g., constant existence or nonexistence of law, policy, and institution-their z-scores are not computed. To deal with we assigned a certain z-score for these constant binary measures-positive for the rights protecting institution or negative for the rights suppressing institution. The z-score was derived from the situation that a rights protecting institution came into existence or a rights suppressing institution was removed in the middle of the observation period.
56. Pr(-0.5≤Z≤0.5)=0.3830.
57. Hagen Koo, Middle Classes, Democratization, and Class Formation: The Case of South Korea, 20 Theory & Soc. 485 (1991).
58. The rapid upward spike of economic and social rights in the year 2004 is noticeable. A closer analysis of the data suggests that the sudden improvement was linked to such factors as the numbers of day care facilities, government housing, government-funded medical facilities, and children as family heads, among others. All the facilities grew in number and the number of children as family heads decreased significantly in 2004.
59. Pr(-0.690Z≤0.578)=0.524.
60. Pr(-0.540Z≤-0.319)=0.799.
61. Ian Neary, Human Rights in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan 68-98 (2002).
62. Eunhye Yoo & Jeong-Woo Koo, Presentation at 106th American Sociological Association Annual Meeting: Love Thy Neighbor: Explaining Asylum Seeking and Hosting, 1982-2008 (2011) (PowerPoint slides available at http://wiz.skku.edu/wiz/user/jkoo/ images/jrzqnom_002.ppt).
63. Pr(-0.092≤Z≤0.881)=0.311.
64. The rate of increase from 1990 to 2007 is about 41 percent [Pr(-0.283≤Z≤0.852)=0.411].
65. National Human Rights Commission of Korea, National Survey of Human Rights Practices (2011).
66. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World (2007), available at http://hdr.undp. org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf.
67. Korea Labor Institute, Labor Statistics of Korea (2007).
68. Rennie J. Moon & Jeong-Woo Koo, Global Citizenship and Human Rights: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Studies and Ethics Textbooks in the Republic of Korea, 55 Comp. Educ. Rev. 574 (2011).
69. Rennie J. Moon & Jeong-Woo Koo, Global Citizenship and Human Rights: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Studies and Ethics Textbooks in the Republic of Korea, 55 Comp. Educ. Rev. 574 (2011).
70. National Human Rights Commission of Korea, National Survey of Human Rights Practices (2011).
71. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).
72. See Rhoda E. Howard & Jack Donnelly, Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Political Regimes, 80 Am. Pol. Sci. Rev. 801 (1986).
73. Two lines of criticisms have appeared. The first line, as a more fundamental criticism, casts doubts on the utility of indices that aggregate different measures of a property because a single index "obscures any patterns of interaction among the component variables, reducing rather than increasing the information available. " Russel Lawrence Barsh, Measuring Human Rights: Problems of Methodology and Purpose, 15 Hum. Rts. Q. 87, 102 (1993). The second line that concurs with the index approach contends that indices may be reliable only if the components are properly weighted.
74. Neil J. Mitchell & James M. McCormick, Economic and Political Explanations of Human Rights Violations, 40 World Pol. 476 (1988).