Changwon Disability Groups Demand Apology from Council Member Who Proposed Reducing Disabled Parking Spaces

Disability organizations in Changwon, Gyeongnam Province, have demanded a formal apology from the city council member who sponsored an ordinance bill to reduce the number of disabled parking spaces in city-affiliated parking lots, but later withdrew the proposal.

The Changwon Disability Rights Assurance Group, a coalition of five disability organizations from the Masan and Changwon areas, held a press conference at the city hall press center on January 20, urging Assemblyman Kim Youngrok to "officially apologize for his exclusionary and anti-human rights remarks against socially disadvantaged groups."

The group stated, "Even if one or two disabled parking spaces are converted to general parking spaces, it will not solve the chronic parking shortage," adding, "This issue can only be addressed through systematic, long-term solutions such as Changwon City's urban development or parking plans. Converting parking spaces reserved for the socially disadvantaged and disabled to general spaces, or simply increasing the number of general spaces, will not resolve the problem."

They also emphasized, "Empty disabled parking spaces do not indicate a lack of necessity or a waste of resources. These spaces must remain available at all times so that vehicles for people with disabilities can park whenever needed. It is the same logic as not reducing the number of empty emergency room beds in major hospitals."

The Gyeongnam Changwon Disability Rights Assurance Group is urging the city council member who proposed the ordinance to reduce the disabled parking spaces in the Changwon City-affiliated parking lot to reconsider. Photo by Lee Seryung

The group further pointed out, "Among major cities with a population of one million, Changwon has a higher proportion of people with disabilities at 5.05% compared to other special cities, and the proportion of elderly residents exceeds 20%, making it the only major city to have entered a super-aged society. While the population of people with disabilities continues to grow, reducing parking spaces is a regression and setback in welfare administration."

They also welcomed the withdrawal of the ordinance amendment that would have undermined the mobility and accessibility rights of people with disabilities, stating, "We hope that the Changwon City Council will stop exclusionary and discriminatory politics against people with disabilities and take the lead in inclusive legislative activities that guarantee the basic rights of the socially disadvantaged."

Previously, Assemblyman Kim, together with 10 other members of the People Power Party, recently proposed a partial amendment to the "Changwon City Parking Lot Installation and Management Ordinance."

The main purpose of the ordinance was to adjust the required proportion of disabled parking spaces in city-affiliated parking lots from the existing "4%" to "at least 3%." The proposal aimed to contribute to resolving Changwon's chronic parking shortage by adjusting the ratio of disabled parking spaces in these lots.

In response, the Changwon Disability Rights Assurance Group held a press conference at the city hall press center on January 15, condemning the ordinance amendment and calling for its withdrawal.

The following day, Assemblyman Kim, who sponsored the bill, held a press conference himself, explaining the rationale behind the proposal. He cited the following points: ▲ the cost of creating a single parking space in Changwon currently amounts to 43 million won ▲ while there are 11,323 vehicles for people with disabilities eligible to use disabled parking spaces, there are over 22,000 disabled parking spaces available ▲ adjusting the proportion by 1% would make more than 5,400 general parking spaces available ▲ the 230 billion won in costs saved by creating 5,400 new spaces could be redirected to welfare for people with disabilities, rather than parking lots. Despite these explanations, opposition persisted.

Ultimately, on the afternoon of January 19, Assemblyman Kim decided to withdraw the proposed amendment.

Immediately after the withdrawal, Assemblyman Kim stated, "I wanted to utilize parking lots more efficiently to alleviate the chronic parking shortage for citizens, but due to insufficient communication regarding the proposed ordinance, I decided to withdraw it. I regret that the proposal may have appeared political ahead of the local elections, and I sincerely apologize for causing concern among citizens."

He added, "Through meetings and discussions, I believe it is necessary to seek more practical points of agreement and issues that citizens can truly relate to, while communicating and coordinating more closely. I will do my best in the remainder of my term to serve Changwon City and its citizens through my legislative activities."