Protesters with disabilities occupy subway station on president's inauguration day

Park Kyeong-seok, one of the protesters with a disability is seen fighting for disabled people's rights, as he lies inside a subway car after boarding it at Gwanghwamun Station as it was heading to Yeouido Station, near the site of the presidential inauguration, May 10. Newsis

By Ko Dong-hwan

While President Yoon Suk-yeol on May 10 was at his inauguration event, which was taking place on the front lawn outside of the National Assembly on Yeouido, protesters with physical disabilities were fighting for their rights not too far from there.

A group of people in wheelchairs who represent Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) ― a national alliance of disabled people ― demonstrated at Yeouido Station on Seoul Metro lines 5 and 9, to demand the new government fix the current laws that negatively impact people with disabilities.

The group has been demanding improvements to the law for months ― after Yoon was elected in March and the presidential transition committee started prioritizing national issues to tackle under the new government.

Eight protesters got out of their wheelchairs at the platform inside Gwanghwamun Station, also on Line 5, and crawled onto a subway carriage employing a five-limbed prostration posture that Buddhists sometimes use to pray.

The protesters held their demonstration in the morning rush hour, delaying the operation of the subway filled with morning commuters for several minutes.

Before they boarded the train, the protesters, each holding a planted flower as a way to congratulate Yoon on his inauguration, held a press conference inside Gwanghwamun Station at about 8 a.m. Park Kyeong-seok, one of the alliance's representatives, said his group congratulates Yoon's inauguration but at the same time wanted to urge him to not forget about disadvantaged members of the public.

"We want to get to as close as we can to the president so we can to demand the rights that some people take for granted," said Park. "We want to remind him to keep his words: safeguard fairness and common sense in our society. We ask him to keep his promise seriously and not forget about people with disabilities as he ventures to realize the constitutional values."

Park also condemned Rep. Lee Jun-seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, which recently became the ruling party, by calling him a "front runner in discriminatory politics." Rep. Lee had repeatedly condemned protesters with disabilities for causing an inconvenience to morning commuters. The disadvantaged group had retorted saying Rep. Lee was dividing the country by discriminating against people with disabilities.

Park Kyeong-seok lies on the floor of a subway car after boarding at Samgakji Station, May 11. Newsis

The protesters on Tuesday traveled as far as Yeouido Station, just a few kilometers from the National Assembly, and alighted from the train and exited the subway station the same way they boarded it.

Banding together with more members of the alliance group, the protesters then formed a procession toward Yeouido Park on the streets, just 900 meters away from where the presidential inauguration took place. While marching, they shouted slogans like "prepare a national budget to realize social infrastructure and safeguard the rights of people with disabilities in the country."

When the protesters arrived at the park, they scuffled with the police who deterred them from marching further. The protesters settled in front of the park and continued the demonstration there.

Kwon Dal-ju, another representative of the alliance group, said during the demonstration that he was concerned about how Yoon's new government will treat the disadvantaged in this country. "He never mentioned anything about people with disabilities when he was campaigning for the presidency," he said. "I'm doubtful. I do not know what kind of policies his government will introduce for us."

Since last December, the alliance has been demanding the central government revise the existing laws or introduce new laws to safeguard disabled rights, improve accessibility for public transportation and provide special education programs for disabled people.

To ensure that their message to the authorities is being heard, the group has been strategically occupying subway platforms at certain subway stations in Seoul during morning rush hour ― sticking their wheelchair wheels between the platform and subway cars in order to delay the subway's operation for several minutes, thereby, gaining the attention that otherwise they require.

The protesters in April started paying attention to the National Assembly's confirmation hearing for Choo Kyung-ho, the then-candidate for the country's finance minister position, to see how seriously he took social issues of people with disabilities. But not satisfied with the outcome of the hearing on May 2, the protesters said they will continue with their demonstrations. Choo was appointed on May 10.

The protesters began demonstrating on May 6 at Samgakji Subway on lines 4 and 6, the closest station to Yoon's presidential office in Yongsan. Previously, they had been demonstrating at Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, which was close to the presidential transition committee which disbanded earlier this month.

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