Disabled advocacy group resumes subway protests after two-month hiatus

Social Affairs

Published: 20 Nov. 2023, 17:38

Disabled advocacy group resumes subway protests after two-month hiatus

Police and members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) clash at City Hall Station, subway line No. 2, in central Seoul on Monday as the group protested on the platform, demanding the government increase spending on welfare and mobility for people with disabilities. [NEWS1]

A local advocacy group for people with disabilities held morning rush hour protests on the capital’s subways on Monday, urging the government to increase spending on mobility for people with disabilities.

The rally, staged by the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD), occurred two months after the group last staged a protest in September. SADD members in wheelchairs obstructed subway doors.

Members of the group, including the head of SADD, Park Kyeong-seok, who uses a wheelchair, attempted to board the train at City Hall Station, subway line No. 2, at around 8:18 a.m. on Monday.

The Namdaemun Police detained a participant of the rally for work obstruction, as the “illegal” protest led to a clash between the protesters, the police and employees of Seoul Metro, the operator of the capital’s subways.

After members could not get through and ride the train, they stood at each doorway, holding pickets with protest slogans.

Members of the SADD said Monday they decided to resume staging the protest as the Yoon Suk Yeol government refused to listen to their request to increase spending on the welfare and mobility of people with disabilities.

The SADD members also held pickets during Monday's protest, criticizing Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, claiming that the capital is scrapping projects supporting the deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities, including job programs and subsidies to help people live independent lives after their release from institutions.

The group asserted that the scrapping of the plan would result in laying off approximately 400 people with severe disabilities and around 105 personnel related to the project starting this year.

“With the Seoul Metropolitan Government cutting the entire budget by some 1.9 billion won [$1.5 million], the whole residential support program is to be abolished,” members of SADD said.

They added that the city government is refusing to follow the guidelines of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to “provide lots of support services for persons with disabilities in their local communities.”

However, the Seoul city government refuted the claims, saying that the budget for such projects has increased.

According to the city government, the amount allocated for the project supporting job programs for those with disabilities is 49.3 billion won next year, up 1.9 billion won from this year.

The city will spend approximately 4 billion won to offer jobs tailored to individuals with different disabilities.

It will also spend an additional 289 million won next year to support the deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities, the city government said.

The SADD plans to hold another protest in the subway during morning rush hours on Dec. 1.

Meanwhile, unionized Seoul Metro workers affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will stage a general strike on Wednesday. The workers had previously staged a two-day warning walkout on Nov. 9 and 10, demanding the city government scrap its plans to cut employees of Seoul Metro.

BY MOON HEE-CHUL, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]