{"id":2200067,"date":"2023-02-15T09:18:07","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T09:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2200067"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:09:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:09:44","slug":"the-ongoing-battle-between-seoul-and-disabled-citizens-over-better-metro-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/02\/the-ongoing-battle-between-seoul-and-disabled-citizens-over-better-metro-access\/","title":{"rendered":"The ongoing battle between Seoul and disabled citizens over better metro access"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of South Korea\u2019s <\/span>disabled people<\/span><\/a> have staged <\/span>protests<\/span><\/a> at some of Seoul\u2019s busiest underground metro stations since late 2021. They have called for more significant financing for mobility provisions, such as installing elevators in all metro stations and increasing the number of low-floor buses to make them more accessible for wheelchair users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But some prominent members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) have shown little sympathy for the activists\u2019 cause, referring some of them to <\/span>prosecutors<\/span><\/a> for delaying subway service during peak hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The government says budget constraints make it difficult to upgrade public transportation in the way protestors want, and with neither side backing down, the struggle for disabled South Koreans is likely to continue and even intensify for the foreseeable future.<\/span><\/p>\n

FIGHTING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS<\/b><\/p>\n

The issue of disability rights in South Korea is significant. According to the ROK\u2019s National Human Right Commission, the <\/span>most common cause<\/span><\/a> for filing a complaint in 2020 was disability discrimination, which amounted to about 28% of cases. A close second was sexual harassment, which was 24.3%.<\/span><\/p>\n

To demand better mobility provisions in public transportation facilities, Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) \u2014 a disability advocacy group \u2014 increased the frequency of their <\/span>protests<\/span><\/a> at metro stations across the capital. SADD activists say the problem runs <\/span>deeper<\/span><\/a> than the lack of infrastructure and reflects a discriminatory attitude toward non-able-bodied people throughout society.<\/span><\/p>\n

Activists were hopeful when the Moon Jae-in administration <\/span>passed<\/span><\/a> a law to increase disabled people\u2019s access to public transit in Dec. 2021. But their hope turned to disappointment when they discovered the bill littered with loopholes.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the law required all city and rural buses to be wheelchair-accessible, it <\/span>exempted<\/span><\/a> intercity buses. A provision to allocate funds for special transit means also turned out to be recommendations, which <\/span>meant<\/span><\/a> local governments could withhold the money if they chose to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the Yoon administration, the government <\/span>increased<\/span><\/a> the budget for disability rights by only $8.2 million (10.6 billion won), even though the ruling and opposition parties initially agreed to increase the funding by $508 million (650 billion won).<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2020, South Korea\u2019s <\/span>public spending on incapacity<\/span><\/a> \u2014 an overarching category of public spending that includes disability cash benefits, occupational injury and disease and social expenditure on services for the disabled \u2014 amounted to just 0.8% of its gross domestic product (GDP). This places South Korea far below the OECD\u2019s average of 2% and neighboring Japan\u2019s 1.2%.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Then-candidate Oh Se-hoon campaigns for Seoul\u2019s mayorship, March 31, 2021 | Image: Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

UNSYMPATHETIC LEADERS<\/b><\/p>\n

Some prominent ruling party members have been openly critical of the disability rights protestors from the start.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former PPP chairman Lee Jun-seok <\/span>condemned<\/span><\/a> the disability rights group\u2019s subway protests last March.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI demand that SADD cease its protest that is holding the people of Seoul hostage. If SADD does not end its illegal protest, I will go there myself to stop them,\u201d\u00a0he <\/span>wrote<\/span><\/a> on social media. Lee also <\/span>accused<\/span><\/a> the protesters of \u201cplaying the minority card\u201d to get their point across and <\/span>urged<\/span><\/a> the police and metro authorities to take action \u201cto prevent SADD\u2019s hostage-taking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon followed up in December with a <\/span>zero-tolerance<\/span><\/a> policy toward disabled protestors, blaming the rights activists for being a hindrance to commuters. Besides referring 24 protesters to the prosecution, metro workers and riot police officers physically <\/span>blocked<\/span><\/a> activists from accessing subway stations and boarding trains. Seoul metro even <\/span>filed a suit<\/span><\/a> against SADD, seeking over $467,000 (600 million won) in compensation for the delays and disruptions their protests have caused.<\/span><\/p>\n

In January, Oh <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t think SADD [members] are socially underprivileged.\u201d He added, \u201cRather, citizens who suffer irreversible losses due to unexpected subway operation delays are the vulnerable ones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But SADD activists remain undeterred, <\/span>announcing<\/span><\/a> in January its plans to stage 260 morning rush hour protests at metro stations along Seoul subway line 4 this year. They chose this line due to its proximity to the Yongsan presidential office.<\/span><\/p>\n

TRANSPORT FEE HIKES<\/b><\/p>\n

When Oh was <\/span>elected<\/span><\/a> mayor in 2021, one of his first tasks was to slash the city\u2019s budget \u2014 specifically for projects launched by his late predecessor Park Won-soon, which he deemed \u201cwasteful.\u201d And he has been a vocal critic of Seoul metro\u2019s <\/span>ballooning deficit<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of his campaign to rein in the city\u2019s budget deficit, public transportation fees in Seoul are set to <\/span>increase<\/span><\/a> in the coming months. Subway and bus fares are expected to increase by up to $0.30 (400 won) in <\/span>the second half of the year<\/span><\/a>, marking the first price hike in eight years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The municipal government says the hike is \u201c<\/span>unavoidable<\/span><\/a>\u201d due to the high deficits the city incurs annually, partly due to offering free public transportation to some riders.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAgainst the backdrop of the rapidly aging population, the city is faced with a profound task of how to restructure the social welfare system,\u201d Oh <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIn the near future, the aged population will account for one-third of the total population. [\u2026] Future generations should not be left to pick up the heavy burden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The move comes amid rising consumer prices and the central government\u2019s <\/span>plans<\/span><\/a> to raise utility fees later this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Combined with the government\u2019s unwillingness to compromise with SADD\u2019s demands, the decision to raise public transportation fees will most likely affect South Korea\u2019s most vulnerable groups \u2014 the disabled and the elderly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Business & Economy<\/span><\/a>Culture & Society<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of South Korea\u2019s disabled people have staged protests at some of Seoul\u2019s busiest underground metro stations since late 2021. They have called for more significant financing for mobility provisions, such as installing elevators in all metro stations and increasing the number of low-floor buses to make them more accessible for wheelchair users.\u00a0 But some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2200068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[24,25,27],"yoast_head":"\nThe ongoing battle between Seoul and disabled citizens over better metro access - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/02\/the-ongoing-battle-between-seoul-and-disabled-citizens-over-better-metro-access\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The ongoing battle between Seoul and disabled citizens over better metro access - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many of South Korea\u2019s disabled people have staged protests at some of Seoul\u2019s busiest underground metro stations since late 2021. 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