1-on-1 Debate on Guaranteeing Rights for Disabled People
Lee Jun-seok Maintains Position: "Uncomfortable with 'Hostage Expression'? Provide Alternative Expressions"
"Mobility for Disabled People is Improving," Yoon Emphasizes Low-floor Bus Pledge
Park Kyung-seok: "Confirmed Differences in Views with Lee Jun-seok... Feeling Emptiness"
Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party (right), and Park Kyung-seok, the co-executive director of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) (left), held a one-on-one discussion on the 13th. / JTBC broadcast screen capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] "Is there anything the political circle has refused to do among the demands from the disability community?" (Lee Jun-seok, Leader of the People Power Party)
"They never said they wouldn't do it. But they haven't done it." (Park Kyung-seok, Co-Executive Director of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities, Jeonjangyeon)
On the morning of the 13th, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, and Park Kyung-seok, co-executive director of Jeonjangyeon, who have been exchanging 'Facebook debates' over the subway protests demanding guaranteed budgets for disability rights, held a one-on-one discussion. Lee, who has criticized Jeonjangyeon's protest methods, did not relent in his existing claims during the discussion, calling the protests "taking citizens hostage" and "uncivilized." He also did not respond to Park's demand for an apology regarding those remarks. Park apologized to citizens for the inconvenience caused by the morning protests but appealed, "Please join us for the survival rights and basic rights of persons with disabilities."
◆ Park Kyung-seok: "Waiting for 21 years" vs Lee Jun-seok: "Disability rights are moving forward"
The discussion focused on securing budgets for disability mobility rights and Jeonjangyeon's morning protest methods. Lee and Park showed differences starting from the issue of securing budgets for disability rights. Park first explained that "(Guaranteeing disability mobility rights, etc.) is a basic issue and one that has been waited on for 21 years. However, many things have been missed, deleted, and excluded until now," emphasizing that the central government had not fulfilled its promises regarding disability budgets, which led to the protests.
Park stressed, "The government makes (budget) plans. These are plans made by the government according to the law, but compared to the 100 we demand, the plan is less than 50. Yet even the plans the state set for itself were not kept."
In response, Lee countered, "Is there anything among the disability community's demands that the political circle has said they won't do?" suggesting that the issue is ultimately about 'speed.' Lee said, "We review all proposals from Jeonjangyeon, and the Policy Committee decides what to reflect," adding, "Delays can occur due to lack of budget support. But society is moving forward regarding disability mobility rights and rights protection, not backward."
Lee further emphasized regarding the supply of low-floor buses, "We have already passed legislation so that all buses to be scrapped in the future can be replaced with low-floor buses," and highlighted that he proposed the low-floor bus pledge for intercity and express buses as part of President-elect Yoon Seok-youl's campaign promises.
However, Park pointed out, "(The low-floor bus bill for city buses) was passed after 17 years. For persons with disabilities to use low-floor buses without discrimination from non-disabled people, it will take about 11 years. That applies only to city buses, and no measures have yet been taken for intercity and express buses," adding, "(The pledge Lee made) is something everyone does to that extent."
When Park asked when low-floor buses would be introduced for intercity and express buses, Lee replied, "Of course, discussions should start now," but deferred a specific answer.
On the 29th of last month, Park Kyung-seok, the representative of the Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, and the Presidential Transition Committee held a meeting in the conference room of the Gyeongbokgung Operations Office of Seoul Metro at Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3. Photo by the Transition Committee Press Corps
◆ "Protests uncivilized" vs "Protests have intent and goals"
Lee and Park also clashed over Jeonjangyeon's morning protest methods. Lee repeated his previous claim that deliberately blocking subway departures is "uncivilized," while Park countered that all protests inevitably cause some inconvenience.
Lee raised his voice, saying, "If the term 'hostage' is uncomfortable, what would be an appropriate expression? Can you provide an alternative term?" He added, "I believe delays caused by subway protests are socially tolerated, but deliberately blocking the subway doors is absolutely a problem." He continued, "I am pointing out the intent. Who do you want to inconvenience through this intent? Who is the target of the struggle?"
Park responded, "Assemblies and protests have intent. They have goals to improve things, and aren't those guaranteed by the Constitution?" He added, "All protests cause slowdowns and inconvenience on the ground, and if illegal, they are punished. But the act itself is not divided into civilized and uncivilized."
◆ After 'hostage' remark, increase in disability hate attacks... Park Kyung-seok: "A discussion that felt hollow"
Park pointed out that hate attacks against persons with disabilities have surged following Lee's 'hostage' remark about Jeonjangyeon's protests. He said, "I'm not asking the leader to do something. I'm talking about the role of a political leader," adding, "When messages come from certain people, the threats we face are enormous. They are using language that cannot be spoken."
However, Lee did not back down, criticizing the protest method again, saying, "Did you expect not to receive malicious comments after blocking the subway?" He added, "I started politics in a conservative party, and half of South Korea, including my parents, say extreme things to me. I can't do anything about malicious comments."
Park emphasized, "If you trace it back, it started with the word 'hostage.' It was politically and factionally divisive," adding, "You said why make promises about disability mobility rights to Mayor Oh Se-hoon when they were made during Mayor Park Won-soon's time. But we protested during both Mayor Oh Se-hoon's and Mayor Park Won-soon's terms. I ask for an apology for the divisiveness." However, Lee did not apologize during the discussion.
In an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 14th, Park said, "Despite the inconvenience to citizens, I wanted to talk about why we do this (in the discussion)," but added, "I felt once again that the perspectives and views are very different. Especially as a public figure and party leader, the way you speak should be very different from an ordinary YouTuber, but since you spoke like that, I felt a lot of emptiness," expressing regret.
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