Free at Last?

The Koreans have been relatively free for some time now. But if a new bill passes, the American men and women who help secure that freedom may be able to put outrages like these behind them:

The bill aims to prevent discrimination in all public and private sectors including employment and education. Discrimination would be defined based on 20 criteria, including gender, physical disability, religion, age, nationality, race, skin color, appearance, pregnancy, ideas and sexual preferences.

Under the bill, indirect discrimination resulting in unfair treatment for a certain group of people, teasing and harassment would also be considered discrimination.

The commission would require anyone guilty of discrimination to cease doing so and impose fines of no more than 30 million won ($31,520) if they did not comply. For discrimination judged to be significant, the guilty party would be ordered to pay punitive damages of two to five times the amount of estimated damages.

Let’s hope the bill passes before the last of our soldiers board the charter flight to Seattle.