Lotte Mart Faces Controversy Over Guide Dog Entry Ban in Goseong
Petitions to Cheong and Complaints to Lotte Mart Continue
Netizens Say "Train Your Staff Properly"
Guide Dog School Calls for "More Care and Attention for Guide Dogs"
The guide dog that was denied entry at Lotte Mart Jamsil branch on the 29th of last month. Photo by Instagram capture
[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] Recently, a controversy arose after an incident at a Seoul supermarket where a guide dog in training and its puppy walker were blocked from entering and shouted at loudly. This has sparked ongoing public outrage and calls for improvements in guide dog culture and revisions to related laws.
On the 29th of last month, an Instagram post showed that at the Lotte Mart Jamsil branch in Seoul, an employee who appeared to be a manager blocked the entrance of a guide dog in training with a disability assistance dog tag and its puppy walker, shouting at them.
A puppy walker refers to a volunteer who takes care of puppies that will become guide dogs for visually or hearing-impaired individuals. Legally, they are allowed to enter public places.
The eyewitness who wrote the post explained the situation: "(The puppy walker and guide dog) received entry approval at the entrance and came in, but the employee suddenly shouted, 'How can you bring a dog when you’re not even disabled?'" The eyewitness added, "The dog was so anxious it bit the leash, and the lady (puppy walker) and her daughter cried. No matter how frustrating it is, they should have been guided politely. Was it necessary to raise their voice in front of everyone?" The photo posted along with the text showed the guide dog appearing to cower in fear from the loud noise.
According to Article 40 of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act, no one may refuse entry without just cause to a disabled person accompanied by a disability assistance dog with an assistance dog tag when using public transportation or entering public places, lodging facilities, food service establishments, or other places where many people gather.
This also applies when a disability assistance dog trainer employed by a designated professional training institution or a volunteer involved in training disability assistance dogs accompanies a disability assistance dog with an assistance dog tag.
If entry to public places is blocked without just cause, a fine of up to 3 million won may be imposed. However, since this fine is not a criminal penalty like a fine under criminal law, it does not leave a criminal record or require a trial, and sometimes is handled at the discretion of local governments, leading to it often being regarded as a minor violation. Therefore, there are calls to strengthen penalties by imposing criminal fines rather than administrative fines for violations of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act.
In response to the controversy, on the 30th of last month, Lotte Mart posted an apology on its official Instagram account, stating, "We acknowledge that we failed to consider the guide dog's owner during the response to the puppy walker and accompanying customer who visited Lotte Mart Jamsil branch, and we sincerely apologize."
Lotte Mart further stated, "Taking this as an opportunity, Lotte Mart promises to clarify guidelines and awareness on-site not only for disabled guide dogs but also for puppy walkers, and to actively respond through urgent company-wide sharing to prevent similar incidents from occurring."
Complaints related to Lotte Mart Jamsil Branch are being posted on the Life Inconvenience Civil Complaint Board on the Songpa-gu Office website. Photo by Songpa-gu Office website capture
Nevertheless, public outrage has not easily subsided. On the 30th of last month, a petition titled "Lotte Mart refuses disabled guide dogs, raises voice causing volunteer tears" was posted on the Blue House National Petition board.
The petitioner stated, "Is it reasonable that guide dogs allowed in the National Assembly cannot enter a supermarket? Please ensure punishment is given and work on improving awareness of guide dogs so that such incidents never happen again." As of 9 a.m. on the 1st, the petition had received 640 supporters, surpassing the preliminary threshold of 100 supporters, and is awaiting review by administrators for public release.
Additionally, more than 60 related posts have been uploaded over two days on the civil complaint board of the Songpa District Office website, with complaints continuing. Complainants are requesting fines for the supermarket, employee training, and sincere apologies to the affected parties.
Other netizens have expressed reactions on online communities such as "I filed an official complaint with Songpa District Office via the National Petition Board," "I will boycott Lotte from now on," "This is so heartbreaking and infuriating," and "Even if you can’t be considerate, you shouldn’t have humiliated them."
Regarding this, a representative from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School said, "Guide dogs are not born as guide dogs nor do they become guide dogs overnight; they require a training process, so we hope people will be more considerate of guide dogs in training with puppy walkers." They added, "We understand that many people are still unfamiliar with puppy walkers, but we hope more people will learn about and take an interest in them going forward."
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