KJCKorea
Journal Central

This article examines the process by which the concept of human rights acquired meaning and what content it consisted of during the Korean democratization movement from the 1970s to the 1980s. For this purpose, we reviewed existing discussions, documents related to the democratization movement, statements from movement organizations, and oral history data collected from the Korea Democracy Foundation. The subjects of the human rights movement during this period were religious groups, lawyers, and victims' families, and the people's movement organization also demanded guarantees of basic rights and a humane life. This article sought to trace the formation process of the concept of human rights by examining the process by which the concept of human rights, monopolized by the government in the 1950s and 1960s, gained social meaning through the democratization movement.

This study explores the origins and development of the refugee rights movement in South Korea, focusing on the early history and dynamics of the movement over the past 25 years. Despite the fragmented oral narratives within civil society, academic research on South Korea's refugee rights movement has been limited. This gap has led to challenges in understanding the unique context of South Korea’s adoption of an independent Refugee Act and the role of civil society in its legislative process. The research highlights the beginning of the refugee rights movement in 1999, then traces the evolution of the movement through the formal establishment of the Korea Refugee Rights Network in 2005, and its role in coordinating legal and social support activities for refugees. The legislative campaign for a Refugee Act began in 2006 and sought to institutionalize international refugee norms into domestic law. The study also underscores the importance of transnational solidarity, noting the contributions of early activists as rooted cosmopolitans. Drawing from personal experiences, interviews with activists, and archival materials, this research reconstitutes the process of adopting international refugee norms in South Korea, particularly during the formative years of the movement.