People Power Party "Swift Implementation to Make Life Changes Tangible"
Democratic Party "Will Create More Detailed Policies"
On the 20th, the 44th Disabled Persons Day, both ruling and opposition parties pledged to work hard to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities and support their independence.
On April 20 last year, members of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities held a subway protest at Samgakji Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, demanding the guarantee of rights-based budgeting. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@
Jung Hee-yong, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, stated in a commentary that “this should serve as an opportunity to reaffirm that we all need to make greater efforts for the participation of people with disabilities in society without discrimination and the full establishment of equality.”
Spokesperson Jung emphasized, “The People Power Party and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration have pursued various policies by positioning disability policy as a pillar of welfare for the vulnerable. This year, the budget related to disability policies has been significantly increased to promote integrated care projects for people with developmental disabilities, raise the basic pension for people with disabilities, and expand public jobs for people with disabilities.”
He added, “We are well aware that much is still lacking. As the ruling party responsible for the lives of the people, we have not been able to carefully consider the hardships and pains of people with disabilities and their families. We will listen more attentively to the voices of people with disabilities and continuously think about and promptly implement measures so that they can truly feel changes in their lives.”
Choi Hye-young, floor spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out in a written briefing that “people with disabilities still do not enjoy equal rights with non-disabled people,” and “their urgent demands to guarantee basic rights such as mobility, suffrage, education, and labor rights are instead becoming targets of conflict and hatred.”
Spokesperson Choi also criticized, “The People Power Party boldly pledged in this general election to bring special-purpose high schools onto sites for special schools, and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has deeply disappointed people with disabilities by erasing the previous administration’s ‘deinstitutionalization policy.’”
She then stated, “The Democratic Party will work together through legislation, policies, and budgets to create a society where disability is not a basis for discrimination and where people can live equal lives beyond discrimination. We will listen more closely to the cries of people with disabilities and their families to develop more progressive alternatives and more detailed policies.”
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