Wheelchair-bound Choi Jong-hun spends most Fridays in a makeshift tent
encampment in one of Seoul's busy subway stations, eating instant noodles as
commuters dodge and weave around him and a handful of fellow demonstrators. He's
part of a protest that has lasted more than 60 days and aims to change South
Korea's benefits system, which campaigners say humiliates disabled people by
"grading" them according to their disability.
Photo by KIM HONG-JI/Reuters
While South Korea has made the leap from poverty to rich nation in a
generation, its conservative culture, which prizes physical perfection, still
largely fails to come to grips with the challenges of disability. Choi and
other campaigners say the government's assessment system, which determines the
access to crucial basic pensions worth up to $100 a month, as well as awarding
support services such as home help, is degrading and inhumane. "How dare
(the government) label us like meat?" demanded Choi, a 48-year-old former
construction worker who had a stroke in 2002 that left him partly paralysed. "No
senior citizens or women are graded when the country provides welfare services.
It's only the disabled," echoes one of the group's brochures.
Things are tough for the handicapped in other ways as well. They may be
neglected by family members, who don't understand what state services may be
available, while opportunities for self-support and mainstream jobs are also
limited. For example, visually handicapped people can't take the TOEIC (Test of
English for International Communication) exam - required by South Korean companies
on job applications - more than four times total, while ordinary people are
allowed to take it 14 times a year, said Moon Jae-in, a liberal presidential
candidate from the major opposition party.
As a result, the poverty rate for the disabled in South Korea- who make
up around five percent of the 50 million population - is more than twice that
of other rich nations, according to data from the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development.
"The classification system for the disabled ignores their
dignity," Moon said. In Choi's case, the assessment of his medical needs -
including language problems as a result of his stroke - has been set as a
"level 2" disability, which means he is not entitled to help with his
laundry and cooking.
That forces him to live with another disabled person who has the highest
level of incapacity classification, entitling him to a carer to help with daily
tasks for free. "The problem is that the criteria to classify disabilities
and the demand for social services from disabled people does not match,"
said Jeong Jong-hwa, a social welfare professor at Sahmyook University in
Seoul. In particular, the strictly medical assessment system has problems since
it fails to take into account the different nuances of disabilities, resulting
in potential unfairness.
An official at South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, which
administers the benefits, says that it is aware of some of the issues and is
studying the problem, although it may be moving too slowly for the country's
human rights body, which is considering asking parliament to revise the system.
The official declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to
media.
Until any revision takes place, however, protests may be the only way to
go. In the early 2000s, a number of disabled people shackled themselves to
subway tracks to demand improved access to public transport, resulting in
elevators in some stations. "Passers-by sometimes say "why don't you
have talks (with the government)?" said 38-year old Kim Jin-woo, who has
muscular dystrophy and is taking part in the protests. "But they have no
idea. There's no other way to make this change."
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