"If Focusing Entirely on Mobility Rights, Efforts Should Be Directed Toward Abolishing Autonomous Driving Regulations"
Lee Junseok, Representative of the Reform New Party, commented on November 21 regarding the recent resumption of subway boarding protests by the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeon Jang Yeon), stating, "It's like putting up a Chinese restaurant sign (referring to mobility rights) while actually serving pizza called deinstitutionalization on the menu."
Mobility rights refer to the right of transportation-vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, to use public transportation and means of movement safely and without discrimination. In contrast, deinstitutionalization is a policy direction that aims to enable people with severe disabilities living in facilities to move into the community and receive support to live independently.
On his Facebook page that day, Lee said, "At the very least, if you want to sell pizza while running a Chinese restaurant, you should at least show the courtesy of putting up a pizza shop sign as well," making his point clear.
He stated, "What Jeon Jang Yeon is demanding is deinstitutionalization," and added, "Instead of going to Yeouido to pressure politicians into assigning two or more personal assistants to each individual, Jeon Jang Yeon is staging provocative protests every day on Subway Line 4, which is used by over one million people daily." He continued, "The reason they are more interested in deinstitutionalization than mobility rights is that, in fact, there is not much left to demand regarding mobility rights." He argued, "If they were to protest under the banner of deinstitutionalization, they would face heavy criticism, so they are attaching mobility rights as a means of struggle to the goal of deinstitutionalization."
Lee further stated, "At this point, if Jeon Jang Yeon were to focus entirely on actually securing mobility rights, leaving aside subways and buses, the answer would be to pressure government ministries, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to fully abolish autonomous driving regulations." He added, "As long as there are those who shout 'Disability hate! Division!' and avoid these discussions, and politicians who use them as tools for political attacks, the problems with disability-related policies will not be resolved." He warned, "This will lead them down the same path as conservatives who became foolish by indiscriminately shouting 'Pro-North Korea!' everywhere."
Lee concluded, "The Reform New Party will, on November 24, give voice to the parents of people with severe disabilities and facility workers, who are often demonized by them."
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