Prospective Democratic Party Seoul Mayoral Candidates Meet Jeonjangyeon, Pledge to Secure Mobility Rights for People with Disabilities

Kim Youngbae Proposes Dialogue in Exchange for Protest Suspension to Jeonjangyeon
Park Jumin, Park Honggeun, Seo Younggyo, Jeon Hyunhee, and Hong Ikpyo Attend

Prospective Democratic Party candidates for Seoul mayor have collectively pledged to work to guarantee fundamental rights for people with disabilities, including mobility rights, during a meeting with the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon).

Kim Youngbae, Seo Younggyo, Jeon Hyunhee, Park Jumin, Park Honggeun, and other Democratic Party lawmakers, along with Park Kyungsuk, former executive director of the Seoul Disabled People's Solidarity, and other attendees, are taking a commemorative photo during a dialogue with the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on January 9, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On January 9, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, the Democratic Party's prospective Seoul mayoral candidates-Kim Youngbae, Park Jumin, Park Honggeun, Seo Younggyo, Jeon Hyunhee, and Hong Ikpyo-held a discussion with Jeonjangyeon. Park Kyungsuk, Co-Chairperson, and Lim Soyeon, Secretary-General, attended on behalf of Jeonjangyeon, while the party was represented by Jang Kyungtae, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Party Committee, and Seo Mihwa, Chairperson of the National Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

Previously, on January 6, Assemblyman Kim Youngbae visited the site of a subway boarding protest at Hyehwa Station and suggested to Co-Chairperson Park that they suspend the protest in exchange for opening a channel for dialogue. The next day, Jeonjangyeon agreed to this proposal.

Co-Chairperson Park said, "It has taken five years to reach this point. We have endured being stigmatized as obstructing citizens and even having our existing rights taken away. I hope that, from now on, people with disabilities will no longer be subject to stigma and ridicule by coming into conflict with citizens, and that politics will take responsibility so that society can accept our voices."

Assemblyman Kim said, "Chairperson Seo spoke about the reality that people with disabilities cannot even properly attend their parents' funerals because the call taxi service for people with disabilities cannot cross metropolitan boundaries. I have to reflect on what I have done so far. Although I served as district mayor for eight years, I was not fully aware of the basic framework of disability policy, as most of it is handled by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. I am ashamed of that fact." He added, "Politics is about creating hope for more citizens to live together, so I will take responsibility together with the other candidates and the Seoul Metropolitan Party Committee."

Assemblyman Park Jumin said, "I seriously want to question what Mayor Oh Sehoon has done to ensure mobility rights for people with disabilities. Recently, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it had completed 100% of the 'one route per subway station' initiative (ensuring that people with mobility challenges can travel from the street to the platform without assistance), but upon reviewing the actual report, I found that this only applies to Seoul Metro stations and not at all to Korail stations."

Assemblyman Park also criticized Mayor Oh for cutting the public job budget, saying, "Even the staff said that participating in campaigns and rallies is important, so how does it make sense to cut the entire budget that would support this? Such inconsistent actions must be corrected."

Assembly members Park Honggeun, Jeon Hyunhee, Seo Younggyo, and former lawmaker Hong Ikpyo also emphasized their commitment to working to guarantee mobility and fundamental rights for people with disabilities after the local elections.