On the 4th of November, President Park Geun-hye appointed Pastor Choi I-u (최이우) as a non-permanent executive board member of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. The committee has three permanent and seven non-permanent board members, the majority of whom studied law and have quite impressive records. The commission is "committed to the fulfillment of human rights in a broader sense, including dignity, value and freedom of every human being, as signified in international human rights conventions and treaties to which Korea is a signatory." Christians generally maintain that human rights are universal, so it shouldn't be a problem that a Christian pastor was appointed to the board, right?
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Unfortunately, he has quite the sorry record when it comes to sexual minorities. Various LGBT human rights have stated that Pastor Choi has openly made discriminatory remarks about sexual minorities including "how the Christian church is worried about the adverse effects an anti-discrimination bill would bring" and calling homosexuality a sin. Furthermore, Pastor Choi is affiliated with the Future Pastor Forum, which has claimed that homosexuality as an innate trait has no scientific basis and the promiscuous behavior of homosexuals is to blame for their unhappy lives.
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In response to his appointment, various LGBT and human rights groups have called for his resignation saying that he unqualified and it is ridiculous for the word 'human rights' to be attached to Pastor Choi's name. Particularly they have said his appointment violates Article 2 Clause 5 of the Charter for Human Rights (which necessitates the appointment of professionals and those with experience in human rights issues).
Unfortunately, he has quite the sorry record when it comes to sexual minorities. Various LGBT human rights have stated that Pastor Choi has openly made discriminatory remarks about sexual minorities including "how the Christian church is worried about the adverse effects an anti-discrimination bill would bring" and calling homosexuality a sin. Furthermore, Pastor Choi is affiliated with the Future Pastor Forum, which has claimed that homosexuality as an innate trait has no scientific basis and the promiscuous behavior of homosexuals is to blame for their unhappy lives.
The Lawyer Gathering's Minority Committee Requesting Pastor Choi's Resignation (Source)
In response to his appointment, various LGBT and human rights groups have called for his resignation saying that he unqualified and it is ridiculous for the word 'human rights' to be attached to Pastor Choi's name. Particularly they have said his appointment violates Article 2 Clause 5 of the Charter for Human Rights (which necessitates the appointment of professionals and those with experience in human rights issues).