[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will pilot operate the healing project "Visiting Counseling Room" for the psychological recovery of Seongam Academy residents until November.
On the 26th, Gyeonggi Province announced that on the 14th, it opened the "Visiting Counseling Room" at the Seongam Academy Incident Victim Reporting Center, and three counseling and psychological treatment experts will visit the center and conduct a total of 18 counseling sessions until November.
Seongam Academy was a reform institution established in Ansan City in May 1942 following the announcement of the Joseon Juvenile Act during the late Japanese colonial period. After liberation, Gyeonggi Province took over and forcibly isolated and housed vagrants in the city under the pretext of rehabilitation and education of vagrants, operating until 1982. More than 4,700 boys were forced into labor, and many boys who tried to escape human rights violations such as beatings and malnutrition sacrificed their lives.
Seongam Academy residents experienced physical abuse such as hunger, various labor, and heavy labor in the past human rights blind spots, so they have trauma (post-traumatic stress disorder) physical symptoms such as sleep anxiety and fear of confined spaces. Also, having worked instead of receiving education during childhood, they have difficulty reading and writing Hangul, lack communication and interpersonal experience through social life, and most are found to be basic livelihood security recipients or living in single unmarried households.
The province is conducting psychological education on basic social skills for living in addition to psychological treatment related to trauma for them.
Park Chan-gu, Gyeonggi Province's Human Rights Officer, said, "After this year's pilot project, if the effectiveness of the project is verified, we will expand the service target."
Earlier, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, in a memorial message for the passing of Lee Dae-jun, Vice Chairman of the Seongam Academy Child Victim Countermeasure Council, in January, said, "Seongam Academy, where human rights violations were committed, was an institution operated by Gyeonggi Province. As the highest official of the provincial government, I deeply feel responsible and apologize to the victims," and promised, "We will fulfill Gyeonggi Province's role to install a victim reporting center, conduct memorial projects and healing activities, urge the revision of the Past Affairs Act, and ensure a proper investigation."
Seongam Academy victims or families of the deceased can make a visit reservation by phone (1899-7298) and then visit the center (2nd floor, Exhibition Office Building, Gyeonggi Creative Center, 101-19 Seongam-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan City) to apply for damage.
The center's operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
As of now, 108 damage reports have been received at the Seongam Academy Incident Victim Reporting Center, which opened on April 16.
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