South Korea’s impressive advancements in public transportation infrastructure mask a critical issue: the inadequate inclusion of disabled individuals in public life. In cities like Seoul, where advanced public transportation and automated services are the norm, this oversight starkly contrasts the nation’s reputation for modernity and accessibility.

For the disabled community in South Korea, daily life presents a series of challenges, particularly in the realm of public transportation. Lee Sang-cheol, 69, who has been using an electric wheelchair for two decades after losing his legs, frequently faces difficulties in navigating a public transport system that seems to disregard the needs of people like him.