- 27 - 77. The Committee is concerned by the housing situation in the Republic of Korea and considers that it has not been given adequate information on the subject, especially with regard to unsuitable housing, the number of homeless people and forcible evictions. It notes that, according to international non-governmental sources, 720,000 persons were evicted on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Seoul and that no information has been provided on their subsequent situation, while 16,000 persons are said to have been evicted since February 1992. Lastly, according to national non-governmental sources, 4,000 evictions took place in 1994. Despite the Committee’s concerns, there has been no response to its questions or, more generally, to problems relating to the right to housing. 78. The Committee is of the view that the Government, in view of its economic resources, has inadequately addressed the economic, social and cultural rights of the most marginalized members of society. Among categories of person who are in need of greater attention and concern are the very poor, the homeless and especially victims of severe physical and mental handicap. E. Suggestions and recommendations 79. The Committee draws attention to the obligation on the Republic of Korea to ensure the status of the Covenant in the field of economic, social and cultural rights as superior to all national law, whether precedent or subsequent. It recommends that all laws be examined in order to ensure conformity with the provisions of the Covenant. It also recommends that programmes of education be extended in order to increase awareness of the provisions of the Covenant throughout society and to ensure its application in the judicial process, as well as its observance by law enforcement agencies. 80. The Committee recommends that the Government immediately amend its laws and regulations concerning the freedom to form trade unions and the right to strike in order to bring them into compliance with the Covenant and with other applicable international standards. In particular, measures should be taken to ensure that teachers, civil servants and others have the right to form trade unions and to take strike action. 81. The Committee, though acknowledging the value of existing governmental programmes, urges that priority be given to the promotion of the role of women in society. It is strongly recommended that, in order to deal with discrimination against women, it is necessary to allocate resources to carry out a range of initiatives in the fields, inter alia, of juvenile and adult education, enhanced job opportunities, law reform and the administration of justice. It is also recommended that programmes should be introduced with a view to redressing the imbalances in the status of women in the Korean society. 82. The Committee recommends that the Republic of Korea extend the regulations on safety in the workplace and on minimum wages to enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. All improvements in conditions of work should be applied equally to national and non-national workers, and existing discriminatory practices against those non-nationals currently employed should be eradicated.