"Millions of Seoul Passengers Should Not Be Held Hostage by a Specific Group"
Officials from the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities held a picketing on a train after finishing the "Press Conference on the Position Regarding the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's Inclusion of Disability Rights Budget" at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Subway Line 5 on the afternoon of January 3, urging the guarantee of mobility rights for persons with disabilities. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, recently criticized the ongoing 'protests for the mobility rights of the disabled' taking place at Seoul subway stations, saying, "It is puzzling that protests continue after Mayor Oh Se-hoon took office, citing the reason that promises made during former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's administration were not kept."
On the 25th, Lee wrote on his Facebook, "The People Power Party and President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol have already promised to negotiate with the leaders of the concerned group several months ago," expressing this view.
He added, "No matter how legitimate the claim is, if it excessively infringes on the rights of others, it can be negatively evaluated," and stated, "The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Seoul Metro should actively deploy safety personnel to ensure that millions of passengers, for whom punctuality is vital, do not become hostages to a specific group."
He also said, "Just as non-disabled passengers face boarding restrictions based on door operation times during normal times, it is not a problem to restrict boarding for disabled passengers after a certain period following the train's stop for door operation."
Lee emphasized, "We must actively intervene in the absurdity of the mobility rights struggle of the disabled holding hostage the mornings of millions of Seoul citizens."
The protests for the mobility rights of the disabled are being led mainly by members and activists of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon). This group temporarily suspended protests on the 23rd of last month, before the 20th presidential election, urging candidates to guarantee mobility rights for the disabled, but resumed gatherings on the 24th at Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 after about a month.
Park Kyung-seok, representative of Jeonjangyeon, said on the day, "Everyone has said they would guarantee (the disabled's) mobility rights, but it has not been upheld for 21 years," adding, "From today, we plan to take the subway daily, but if President-elect Yoon comes to the site, we can stop the boarding and alighting protests and wait."
Jeonjangyeon is urging the government to ▲ take national financial responsibility for guaranteeing mobility rights for the disabled and revise the Enforcement Decree of the Subsidy Act ▲ take responsibility for the budget for disabled activity assistance ▲ take national financial responsibility for operating expenses of lifelong education facilities for the disabled and revise the Enforcement Decree of the Subsidy Act.
Earlier, on the 22nd, Jeonjangyeon held a press conference near the Financial Supervisory Service Training Institute in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's transition committee was organized.
At that time, Lee Hyung-sook, co-representative of Jeonjangyeon, appealed, "Why are we stigmatized as bad disabled people who waste taxpayers' money and have to endure countless insults for a trip that takes less than 10 minutes?" and urged President-elect Yoon to guarantee the most basic rights.
The group also warned that if President-elect Yoon does not respond to their demands, they will resume subway protests and carry out a one-night, two-day sit-in protest near the transition committee.
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