The International Human Rights Clinic was founded in March 2010

The International Human Rights Clinic was founded in March 2010 under the leadership of Professor Kyung-shin Park. In its initial phase, the clinic partnered with EarthRights International, a global nonprofit organization established with support from the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic. At present, its core mission is to address human rights violations linked to overseas resource development projects undertaken by domestic companies through legal action. By collaborating with public interest legal groups and human rights organizations active in the field, the clinic seeks not only to shed light on these violations but also to pursue legal remedies within the domestic legal framework.

In the 2010s, the International Human Rights Clinic was dedicated to investigating human rights violations related to foreign resource development companies in the Kyaukphyu region of Myanmar, conducting interviews with affected residents, and preparing for litigation. In 2015, the Clinic revisited the Kyaukphyu region to collect further evidence and officially filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court. Subsequently, the Clinic continued to support the litigation by attending court hearings, assisting attorneys, and raising litigation funds through a Storyfunding project. In 2020, due to challenges posed by the defendants regarding legal representation, the Clinic initiated authentication procedures through diplomatic missions. Although travel to Myanmar was postponed due to COVID-19, we continued to support the case by conducting legal research and document translation. Following the dismissal of the lawsuit in the first instance in 2021, the Clinic conducted research on international jurisdiction and emergency jurisdiction to prepare for the appeal. In 2022, it assisted in the appellate proceedings and undertook research to establish evidence linking POSCO International as a contracting party.

Since 2023, the Clinic has been conducting research on digital authoritarianism and human rights issues in Southeast Asia, producing research papers and sharing feedback through seminars. We collaborate with public interest law firms and human rights organizations to address human rights violations following the expansion of digital authoritarianism by governments (e.g., control and censorship of public discourse, defamation laws, and regulations on anonymity) by providing legal support and hosting expert lectures. In 2024, the Clinic participated in the Summit for Democracy seminar, co-hosted a case round with UC Irvine Law School’s International Justice Clinic, and organized joint seminars with various academic societies. This year, we plan to continue our research on digital rights cases in Southeast Asia, provide litigation support, and engage in international law and human rights seminars, as well as local outreach activities, in order to further discussions on key international human rights issues.