A/HRC/37/11 consultation process. The Government had been taking measures to strengthen the role and functions of the Human Rights Policy Advisory Panel, which had included civil society representatives, so as to foster communication and cooperation with civil society in the drafting process of the new action plan. 9. The delegation reported on the measures taken to strengthen the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, including by amending the relevant law in 2016 to improve the selection of human rights commissioners and ensure immunity of commissioners in performing their official duties. 10. The Government extended a standing invitation to special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council in 2008, and had received country visits of the special rapporteurs almost every year. The Government had invited the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to hold its regular session in Seoul in 2017. 11. In 2017, the authorities had withdrawn the reservation to article 21 (a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child related to the issue of adoption. The Government had been studying the possibility of ratifying the international human rights treaties to which it had not yet acceded. 12. Regarding the recommendations on conscientious objectors who refused to perform military service, the delegation stated that it was important to consider the security considerations in the region and public consensus on the equity of military service. The Government has been planning to undertake a cautious review of the amendment to the Military Service Act, introducing alternative service for conscientious objectors, and to hold a wide consultation on the matter. 13. Regarding freedom of assembly, the Government had taken measures to ensure that every police officer assigned to monitor demonstrations underwent human rights training. In 2017, a committee on police reform had been established to ensure a greater human rights-based approach in the work of the police. For example, the committee had recommended excluding the use of water cannons and bus barricades by police in demonstrations. Regarding the case of Baek Nam-gi, who had died as a result of the use of water cannon by the police during a demonstration, the delegation reported that four persons had been prosecuted for the death after the completion of the investigation. 14. The authorities had been working to improve the realization of economic, social and cultural rights despite existing financial and other difficulties. The Government had been building a social safety system to eradicate poverty and to ensure that everyone enjoyed basic standards of living. Some vulnerable groups, like children, persons with disability and unemployed young adults, had been provided with benefits or essential services. 15. The Government had developed guidelines to change the status of non-regular employment to regular employment. The public sector had been taking a lead in that process. Some measures had been envisaged to prevent an overuse of non-regular employment, to improve the treatment of people in non-regular employment and to provide subcontracted employees with better employment conditions in the private sector. 16. The Government had strengthened its policy on achieving work-family balance, including by expanding parental leave entitlements, creating an environment conducive to telecommuting and supporting employers who had adopted a flexible working hour system to address the issue of gender pay gap caused by the interruption of women’s careers. 17. While compulsory elementary and middle school education had been free of charge, the Government had been reforming the education system to ensure free compulsory high school education by 2022. The Government had placed an upper limit on the increase of college tuition fees, expanded the national scholarship programme and maintained low interest rates for student loans to ease their financial burden. 18. The State housing policy had included measures to improve housing conditions of working families. The Government had increased the number of public housing and public housing benefits to provide support to persons from vulnerable groups. It had also expanded the coverage of public medical institutions and strengthened a community-based health-care system to guarantee access to health care for all. 3