한국의 기본권보장은 19세기 말 개항이후 개화파들을 중심으로 서구 인권사상이 수용된 후 최초의 근대적 헌법이었던 1919년 임시정부헌법에 규정된 기본권으로 거슬러 올라간다. 그러나 1948년 헌법제정에 이르러서야 비로소 한국에서 실제 효력이 있는 헌법에 의하여 기본권이 보장되기 시작하였다고 할 수 있다. 그동안 (ⅰ) 국토분단과 그로 인한 체제대결이라는 역사적 현실, (ⅱ) 전통사상과 근대적 서구 인권사상의 갈등이라는 문화적 현실, (ⅲ) 정치권력의 인격화와 더불어 거듭된 독재로 인하여 정치문화가 퇴행하여 온 정치적 현실은 각각 안보논리, 전통논리, 권력논리로 강화되면서 기본권보장에 위축효과를 가져왔다. 1987년 현행헌법 아래에서 1988년 헌법재판소의 창립과 더불어 헌법이 규범력을 확보하고 기본권보장이 활성화되면서 기본권학도 지난 20년 동안 괄목할 만한 성장을 하였다. 현재, 우리 헌법학, 특히 기본권학 앞에 다음과 같은 과제들이 놓여있다: 첫째, 과거 헌법학이 관변법학, 어용법학으로 전락하거나 외국헌법학이론을 추종하였던 폐단에서 벗어나 실정헌법(한국헌법전)을 바탕으로 한 기본권이해가 긴요하다. 둘째, 기본권보장체계를 확립하고 그 체계 내에서 개별기본권규정을 해석하여, 흠결이 없고 법리적으로 일관성이 있는 기본권보호를 가능하게 해야 할 것이다. 셋째, 자유권과 사회권을 엄격히 구분하고 사회권의 구체적 실현 여부를 입법자의 재량에 일임하여 온 태도를 지양하고, 사회권을 구체화하고 법적 효력을 단계화하여 그 실질을 구현할 수 있도록 해야 할 것이다. 넷째, 인권의 보편성을 인정하고 국제인권규범이 보장하는 인권들이 국내의 기본권에 준하는 수준의 효력을 가지고 보장될 수 있도록, 재판에서 국제인권규범을 적극적으로 원용하는 등 실효성을 제고시킬 수 있도록 노력해야 할 것이다. 다섯째, 20세기 후반 개인의 삶의 영역의 확대와 과학기술의 급격한 발전으로 인해 도래한 새로운 기본권적 위험상황에 대한 근본적 대응책으로서, 새로운 인권을 개념적으로 포착하고 법제도적으로 실현할 수 있도록, - 헌법해석의 수준을 넘어 - 헌법개정을 통하여 새로운 기본권 영역을 규율할 필요가 있을 것이다. 마지막으로 현행헌법은 당시의 시대적 과제인 민주주의 회복에 집중하여, 기본권장의 정비를 위한 본격적인 심의가 이루어질 수 없었고 또 헌법개정과정에 시민의 참여가 허용되지 않아 진정한 의미에서 ‘새로운 시대를 규정하는’ 의미를 가지는 헌법으로서는 한계가 있다. 이미 민주주의도 어느 정도 정착되었고 시민들의 기본권의식이 예전과 비교도 되지 않을 만큼 성장한 현 상황에서, 헌법개정이 가능하다면 헌법의 핵심과제인 인권보장을 전면에 놓는 헌법개정이 이루어지는 것이 바람직할 것이다.

The beginning of protection of fundamental human rights in Korea goes way back to the Constitution of 1919 established by the government in exile on the basis of the western idea of human rights accepted in the late 19th century. However only under the Constitution of 1948 the guarantee of fundamental human rights could have legal significance. Nevertheless, (ⅰ) the historical fact of the territorial division and confrontation between South and North, (ⅱ) the cultural fact of the conflict between traditional and modern thoughts, and (ⅲ) the political fact of the retrogression of political culture caused by repeated authoritarian regimes made the protection of fundamental human rights ineffective. Under the current Constitution of 1987, the Constitutional Court of Korea was established in 1988, by which the normative power of Constitution was strengthened and the protection of fundamental human rights became effective. For the past 20 years constitutional study on the fundamental human rights has been reinvigorated and more productive than ever. These days there are some tasks for our constitutional jurisprudence as follows: First, the fundamental human rights have to be understood based on the text of constitutional law(Korea Constitution). Second, all the fundamental human rights should be systemized and in that system individual right interpreted. Third, as for social rights their contents should be concreted and legally gradationaly effective. Fourth, on the basis of the universality of human rights it should be possible to assert one´s rights according to the international standards for protection of human rights. Fifth, in the face of new conditions of the contemporary world we need to grasp the new kinds of rights conceptually and then provide the new spheres of fundamental human rights in the Constitution. Finally, current Constitution has some weak points, because the chapter of fundamental human rights was not enough deliberated and people could not participate in the revision of Constitution. At that time the restoration of democracy(‘popular sovereignty’) was the crucial task in constitutional revision. But now, we can say that democracy became stable in a sense and people's awareness for fundamental human rights has grown up remarkably. In such circumstances, if it is possible to revise the Constitution, it is desirable to place the human dignity and human rights in the first chapter of the Constitution in order to make clear what the core task of constitution is.

The beginning of protection of fundamental human rights in Korea goes way back to the Constitution of 1919 established by the government in exile on the basis of the western idea of human rights accepted in the late 19th century. However only under the Constitution of 1948 the guarantee of fundamental human rights could have legal significance. Nevertheless, (ⅰ) the historical fact of the territorial division and confrontation between South and North, (ⅱ) the cultural fact of the conflict between traditional and modern thoughts, and (ⅲ) the political fact of the retrogression of political culture caused by repeated authoritarian regimes made the protection of fundamental human rights ineffective. Under the current Constitution of 1987, the Constitutional Court of Korea was established in 1988, by which the normative power of Constitution was strengthened and the protection of fundamental human rights became effective. For the past 20 years constitutional study on the fundamental human rights has been reinvigorated and more productive than ever. These days there are some tasks for our constitutional jurisprudence as follows: First, the fundamental human rights have to be understood based on the text of constitutional law(Korea Constitution). Second, all the fundamental human rights should be systemized and in that system individual right interpreted. Third, as for social rights their contents should be concreted and legally gradationaly effective. Fourth, on the basis of the universality of human rights it should be possible to assert one´s rights according to the international standards for protection of human rights. Fifth, in the face of new conditions of the contemporary world we need to grasp the new kinds of rights conceptually and then provide the new spheres of fundamental human rights in the Constitution. Finally, current Constitution has some weak points, because the chapter of fundamental human rights was not enough deliberated and people could not participate in the revision of Constitution. At that time the restoration of democracy(‘popular sovereignty’) was the crucial task in constitutional revision. But now, we can say that democracy became stable in a sense and people's awareness for fundamental human rights has grown up remarkably. In such circumstances, if it is possible to revise the Constitution, it is desirable to place the human dignity and human rights in the first chapter of the Constitution in order to make clear what the core task of constitution is.

history of fundamental human rights, history of Korea Constitution, study on the fundamental human rights, protection of fundamental human rights, interpretation of fundamental human rights