The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) determined that a complaint filed by a person with a disability, who said KBS and a dispatch agency restricted the submission of a resume despite meeting the requirements of a dispatch position posting, involved discriminatory conduct and recommended improvements.
According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and others on the 30th, the complainant tried to apply for a KBS dispatch position through dispatch agency A in January and April 2024. However, the agency's manager said, "KBS cannot use its own vehicles, and because there are many cases of having to go back and forth, it will be a bit difficult to accept your application," and restricted the submission of the resume.
KBS argued that the complainant's application had never been received. The dispatch agency also said it did not refer the complainant to KBS, saying during the detailed resume review that the complainant did not fit the job posting.
However, a reference from the dispatch agency mentioned that someone at KBS made a remark to the effect that "because there are thresholds or stairs at the workplace, it would be difficult for a person with a disability to work."
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Committee for the Remedy of Disability Discrimination noted that even if KBS and the dispatch agency did not explicitly use the term "disability" as the reason the complainant's application was not received, references to "mobility inconvenience," "difficulty using one's own vehicle," and "difficulty with wheelchair access when using stairs inside the workplace building" were made after recognizing that the complainant is a person with a disability. The NHRC determined there is a close connection between the non-receipt of the application and disability.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) viewed it as discriminatory conduct on the basis of disability, considering in total that when asked whether a person with a disability could apply, the dispatch agency manager answered, "It seems application would be difficult," and that the opportunity to apply itself was restricted on the grounds of not meeting requirements that were not specified as qualifications.
In particular, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) pointed out that as a public broadcaster, KBS must comply with its employment obligations under the Act on the Promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities and Vocational Rehabilitation, and should play a leading role in improving the employment environment for people with disabilities in our society.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the KBS president and the head of the dispatch agency establish measures to prevent recurrence so that discrimination on the basis of disability does not occur in future hiring processes. It also recommended providing human rights education for hiring staff to improve awareness of people with disabilities and to ensure compliance with the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities.