A/HRC/32/36/Add.2 I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 24/5, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association visited the Republic of Korea from 20 to 29 January 2016, at the invitation of the Government. The purpose of the visit was to assess the situation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the country. 2. The Special Rapporteur met with representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in Seoul and Sejong and local authorities in Pohang. He also met with representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic community and civil society organizations, and the families of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy in Ansan. He would particularly like to thank the Government for facilitating his visit to Han Sang-gyun (leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) at the Seoul Detention Centre. 3. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the cooperation of the Government in the preparation of and throughout the visit. The spirit of constructive dialogue that prevailed during all the meetings he held was commendable and particularly gratifying because it was his first visit to Asia. He further appreciates the efforts of the Government to provide him with a full and accurate picture of the laws and policies governing assembly and association rights in the Republic of Korea. He also recognizes the effort that was put into responding in detail to all his requests for information. 4. The Republic of Korea currently holds the presidency of the Human Rights Council, a position that the Special Rapporteur believes that the country will use to progressively advance the global human rights agenda. He recognizes the support that the Republic of Korea has provided to key resolutions on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and encourages the State to strengthen its cooperation and constructive engagement at that level even further. 5. The Republic of Korea maintains a standing invitation to the special procedure mechanisms of the Council and has received several visits, including from the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders (see A/HRC/25/55/Add.1) and on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (see E/CN.4/1996/39/Add.1, and A/HRC/17/27/Add.2 and Corr.1). The present report builds on the relevant aspects of their findings. 6. The Special Rapporteur is grateful to the many representatives of diverse civil society groups, including youth, persons with disabilities, local communities, academia and professional associations, to name but a few, who made time to meet with him and provided articulate and detailed accounts of their experiences. 7. The Special Rapporteur expresses his gratitude to the Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Republic of Korea and his team for their kind support in relation to some logistical aspects of the visit. II. Background and context 8. The Republic of Korea has a proud history of protests and demonstrations expressing opposition to past autocratic and corrupt leaders, galvanizing society, inducing societal change and hastening democratization. During the visit, a variety of interlocutors agreed that the energy behind the collective mobilization of citizens was instrumental in shifting the country from authoritarian rule to democracy. 3