National Human Rights Commission Dismisses Mass Complaints Requesting Air Conditioning for Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Cell

It has been revealed that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) dismissed a flood of complaints requesting the installation of air conditioning in the solitary cell of the Seoul Detention Center where former President Yoon Suk Yeol is currently incarcerated.

The NHRCK announced that on February 23, it dismissed all 104 complaints filed by supporters who expressed concerns over potential human rights violations regarding the former president's detention conditions.

The commission reached this decision on the grounds that it was clear the former president did not wish for any related investigation to take place.

While third parties are permitted to file complaints with the NHRCK, internal regulations dictate that a case must be dismissed if it is evident that the victim does not want an investigation.

Since the former president was incarcerated at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, in July of last year, a series of complaints have been filed by his supporters.

Among these, 80 complaints—the largest portion—were related to "human rights violations due to poor conditions in correctional facilities," including demands for the installation of air conditioning.

It is known that the solitary cell, measuring approximately 6.6 square meters (about 2 pyeong), where the former president is held, is not equipped with air conditioning and only has a fan.

Supporters filed the complaints arguing that "it is unjust to confine an elderly person in a small room during scorching heat," but the NHRCK dismissed all related complaints, including those specific claims.

Previously, the Ministry of Justice announced that it would invest 1.2 billion won this year to reinforce cooling facilities in correctional institutions.

Following criticism that "taxpayer money should not be spent on criminals," the Ministry of Justice issued an explanatory statement on June 2, stating, "These cooling facilities are being installed in the corridors of the housing units, not inside the individual cells, as an indirect cooling method to mitigate the rise in internal temperatures."

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.