Achievements of and challenges facing the Korean Disabled People’s Movement

Abstract

This paper provides a critical review of the development of the disabled people’s movement in South Korea since 1945, reflecting both its achievements and the obstacles it has faced. In particular, political positions and responses to the movement’s agitation against socio-cultural discrimination and inequality are discussed. Further, three key theoretical foundations of the movement are examined in order to describe the diversity inherent therein. This paper concludes that the disabled people’s movement has heavily influenced the values, norms, and systems of Korean society, but it has predominantly focused on integrating disability issues into policy and legislation, not on changing society and culture. Hence, the Korean Disabled People’s Movement is currently facing many challenges that are major threats towards its future development.

Keywords:

• South Korea
• Disability Rights
• Theoretical foundations
• The Disabled People’s Movement
• Disabled People’s Organisations

Notes

1 There is no compatible term in English but this term has a very similar meaning to the slogan ‘nothing us without us’, which emphasises the principle of participation and presents the belief that no decision should be made affecting disabled people without their full and active involvement.

2 As explained on page 4, the medical-based criteria for the disability grading system is used to define ‘categories of disability’ which helps the government manage registration and grading of disabled people. The grades range from one to six: grade one of the disability category system refers to the most severe level of impairment, while grade six is reserved for the least serious impairment.