This photo is not directly related to the story. (123rf)
This photo is not directly related to the story. (123rf)

Nearly 99 percent of foreign nationals registered as having disabilities in South Korea cannot apply for eight major disability welfare programs, including disability pensions, personal assistance and rehabilitation services, government data showed Tuesday.

Of the 9,703 registered foreign nationals with disabilities as of June, only 113, or 1.2 percent, fell within eligible categories, according to Health Ministry data obtained by Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Eligibility is largely limited to recognized refugees, people granted special residency status for contributions to Korea or the public interest, and their family members. Permanent residents, marriage migrants and most other foreign nationals remain excluded even if they have settled in Korea and registered as having disabilities.

The eight programs comprise three income-support programs — the disability pension, an allowance for adults with mild disabilities and an allowance for children with disabilities from low-income households — and five care and rehabilitation programs.

The latter include personal assistance services, daytime and after-school activity programs for people with developmental disabilities, rehabilitation services for children and integrated care for people with severe developmental disabilities.

Ethnic Koreans from other countries accounted for the largest share of registered foreign nationals with disabilities at 62.1 percent, followed by permanent residents at 20 percent, marriage migrants at 9.2 percent and recognized refugees at 1.2 percent.

Children with disabilities are similarly affected, placing an additional caregiving burden on their families.

The issue was raised during the 2023 parliamentary audit, when lawmakers compared Korea’s restrictions with policies in countries such as Germany and Sweden, which provide some disability benefits to foreign nationals with valid residence permits.

Little has changed, however, even as the number of registered foreign nationals with disabilities rose 69.9 percent over the 4 1/2 years through June to 9,703.

Seo called on the government to remove nationality-based barriers to disability support.

“Immigrants with disabilities who have settled and live in Korea are already members of our community and have the right to receive the social services necessary to maintain a minimum level of dignity from the country where they reside,” Seo said.

“As the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recommended in both 2014 and 2022, the government must come up with an answer that meets international human rights standards.”


forestjs@heraldcorp.com