Jeonjangyeon Wins Partial Compensation Lawsuit Against the State... "The State Must Compensate"

Park Kyung-seok, the representative of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon), who was arrested on charges of obstructing the operation of Seoul city buses, won a partial victory in a lawsuit filed against the state.

Park Kyung-seok, Co-Executive Director of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon). [Image source=Yonhap News]

Judge Son Gwang-jin of the Civil Division 68 at the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in part, ordering the state to pay Park 7 million won and Park's caregiver 3 million won in damages in the lawsuit filed by Park and caregiver Park against the state.

Earlier, Park was arrested on the spot last July at a bus stop in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on charges of obstructing city bus operations by blocking the buses during a protest, but was released the next day. Caregiver Park was also detained and investigated together.

Subsequently, Park filed a lawsuit seeking about 30 million won in damages against the state, claiming that the police arrested him without meeting the necessary conditions for a spot arrest, failed to provide accommodations stipulated in the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities such as a dedicated transport vehicle for persons with disabilities, and illegally detained him for more than 21 hours after the investigation was completed.

After the verdict, Park told reporters, “Despite the enactment of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, the state continues to discriminate against persons with disabilities without any sensitivity, following customary practices,” and added, “I urge the government and Seoul city to resolve the issue of excessive use of police power through dialogue in light of this ruling.”