First Presidential Visit
Meeting Hospital Staff and Members of the Hansen’s Disease Residents’ Association
On the morning of June 25, President Lee Jaemyung visited the National Sorokdo Hospital for the first time as president, meeting with hospital staff and members of the residents' self-governing association of Hansen’s disease patients. According to the presidential office, this visit fulfilled a promise made by First Lady Kim Hye-gyeong, who had visited Sorokdo during the presidential campaign and said, "After the election, I will definitely return with the president."
On this day, hospital staff presented President Lee's book, "Lee Jaemyung's Crooked Arm," and asked for his autograph. The president gladly obliged, signing the book and taking photos with them. President Lee said, "I heard about the hardships you endure in such difficult circumstances, and I was determined to come and see for myself." He also asked the medical staff and residents in detail about their difficulties, saying, "The facilities are old?aren't there many things you need?"
Oh Dongchan, head of the medical department at the National Sorokdo Hospital, who has served on Sorokdo for 29 years, said, "I was worried about the leaking roof of the annex, but I am very grateful that the cost for repairing aging facilities was included in the second supplementary budget this time." He added, "During the last presidential campaign, Mrs. Kim personally came a long way to visit us and look after places that are low and dark. I am very thankful for that."
On this day, the residents shared with President Lee the painful history of forced isolation and birth bans imposed on Hansen’s disease patients on Sorokdo during the Japanese colonial period. Oh Dongchan said, "A treatment for Hansen’s disease was first developed in the 1950s, and by the 1980s, South Korea had already achieved the World Health Organization (WHO) target for eliminating Hansen’s disease. However, we still suffer from social prejudice." The WHO target for eliminating Hansen’s disease is fewer than one case per 10,000 people.
The president and first lady held the hands of the patients tightly and offered comfort, emphasizing that social prejudice must be eliminated. President Lee highly praised the determination of Hansen’s disease patients who have strived to uphold human dignity and the value of community even in pain. He also commended the noble sacrifice and dedication of religious leaders and medical professionals who have cared for the vulnerable in places beyond the reach of the state. President Lee left Sorokdo, saying, "I will deeply consider how to reflect what I heard today in policy and will put it into practice."
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