The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Disabled advocacy group resumes subway protests

By Shim Woo-hyun

Published : May 4, 2022 - 16:23

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Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination stage a subway protest at Gyeongbokgung Station, Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap) Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination stage a subway protest at Gyeongbokgung Station, Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

South Korea‘s largest disabled advocacy group resumed subway protests Wednesday, calling on the government to roll out more detailed plans to guarantee the basic rights of those with disabilities.

Like recent demonstrations, Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, a disability advocacy group that has recently been staging protests at subway stations, held a demonstration at Gyeongbokgung Station during the morning rush hour.

Members of the disabled advocacy group crawled along the subway platform to get on a subway train at the Gyeongbokgung Station, rode the train to Dongguk University Station and returned to the Gyeongbokgung Station.

Subway services were disrupted for about 10 minutes during the morning rush hour due to the protest.

Wednesday marked the second day that SADD resumed its protest.

On April 22, SADD announced that it would temporarily halt its subway demonstrations, hoping that finance minister nominee Choo Kyoung-ho to announce detailed measures to improve the rights of the disabled during a hearing on Monday.

During the hearing, the finance minister nominee said that the government will introduce subsidized transport options for the disabled.

The disabled advocacy group, however, found Choo’s request as being insufficient and decided to resume its subway demonstrations.

SADD currently has been demanding the government to draw up four major bills relating to the basic rights of disabled. The disabled advocacy group has been also asking the government to secure budgetary funds for disability rights in the 2023 fiscal plan, in addition to an official meeting with the new administration’s finance minister.

SADD‘s subway protests at stations on Line No. 3 are due to end Wednesday. But, starting Friday, SADD will move its demonstration site to stations on Line No. 4, between Samgakji Station and Hyehwa station.