The protest was carried out by 228 civic groups banded in solidarity. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Civic activist groups advocating various causes on behalf of physically and mentally disabled individuals started a sit-in protest yesterday at Seoul Station.
The groups held a press conference inside Seoul Station to state that the government’s announcement that it would revoke the grading system of disabled individuals was “fake” because the government’s budget did not reflect the proposed changes.
The protest was carried out by 228 civic groups banded in solidarity.
During the press conference, the groups said that the government had brought up the possibility of ridding society of asylum facilities for disabled persons, which was unfounded as the number of people who are housed in such facilities still remains the same while the budget to support those set to leave such facilities is lacking.
The support groups also stated that the strict guidelines regarding the daily and medical expense subsidies that guardians are required to adhere to must be abolished.
The civic activist groups criticized Kim Dong-yeon, the Minister of Strategy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister and his ministry for cutting funding for disabled persons, resulting from the cooperation between various governmental ministries such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside non-governmental organizations.
The groups added that without the budget for support, disabled and impoverished individuals “were left without any rights.”
The groups plan to continue with their sit-in protest at Seoul Station until September 27.
After the press conference yesterday, activists commemorated the death of the late Kim Sun-deok, 35 years old at the time of death, who committed suicide in 1984 after attempting, in haste, to find a solution to mobility issues for physically disabled people.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
