Oh Se-hoon Meets with Jeon Jang-yeon but... Only Confirms Differences in Stance

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) met after a painful process, but only confirmed their differences in positions regarding protest methods and budget issues.

On the 2nd, Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Park Kyung-seok, the representative of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination, are greeting each other after a meeting at Seoul City Hall.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 2nd, Mayor Oh held a meeting with Jeonjangyeon officials, including Park Kyung-seok, the co-executive director of Jeonjangyeon, at the large conference room on the 8th floor of Seoul City Hall around 3:30 p.m. This meeting was held a week after Mayor Oh accepted a one-on-one meeting with Jeonjangyeon on the 26th of last month.

Mayor Oh said, "This meeting was arranged to ask for restraint from stopping or delaying the subway any further," adding, "Even without extreme protests, the government, Seoul city, and citizens know what Jeonjangyeon wants."

He also explained, "Jeonjangyeon has become a very strong force," and said, "They caused delays in subway operations 84 times, violating the Railroad Safety Act, yet the police have not properly punished Jeonjangyeon officials. There is no social force stronger than this."

On the other hand, Director Park questioned that the rights of persons with disabilities are still not guaranteed. Park said, "Several Seoul mayors have promised to install subway lifts in all subway stations but failed to keep their promises," and added, "We have all faced judicial punishment and are awaiting criminal penalties."

No solution was reached regarding the budget issue either. The budget for disability rights depends on the Ministry of Economy and Finance, so discussions did not progress. Park said, "We have been shouting for 22 years to guarantee basic mobility rights," and requested, "Please help us meet the Minister of Economy and Finance so that this can be resolved socially." However, Mayor Oh responded, "Seoul city has relatively allocated its budget progressively toward deinstitutionalization and is doing well," adding, "If resources were unlimited, any policy could be invested in to an ideal level, but the city has thousands of social care targets and vulnerable groups to look after."

Meanwhile, after the meeting, Director Park told reporters, "Since I heard the position after the meeting, I will review it tomorrow and announce it through a publicity campaign regarding the (subway boarding) stance."