[KS] "Korea Despises Disabled"- Kim DJ

Frank M. Tedesco tedesco at uriel.net
Sat Jul 11 13:34:10 EDT 1998


>               Despising Disabled Should Be Uprooted     
>               
>               07/08
> 
>               President Kim Dae-jung yesterday said that Korean society
>               should uproot the deeply-rooted tradition of despising the
>               disabled.
> 
>               He regretted that there has been little progress thus far in
>               promoting the welfare of the disabled, who are estimated to
>               number 4.5 million.
> 
>               Despite the existence of a law mandating the obligatory
>               hiring of the disabled, the majority of Korean companies are
>               choosing to pay fines instead of employing the disabled.
> 
>               Even the productive disabled, namely those capable of
>               working, are not given adequate opportunities in society, Kim
>               said, adding that those who are unable to work must be
>               protected socially.
> 
>               He called upon the government and the private sector to
>               provide benefits for the disabled so that they won't continue
>               to feel a sense of alienation.
> 
>               In foreign countries, many Korean disabled children are
>               adopted and they are taken care of as if they were the
>               biological children of their parents. But for most people in
>               Korea, where bloodlines are emphasized, it would be
>               unthinkable to adopt such a child.
> 
>               Kim said that such a negative national tradition that
>               shatters the dreams of the disabled must be corrected.
> 
>               Kim said that society must do away with the mentality the
>               disabled ought to be looked down on. He called upon
>               Health-Welfare Minister Kim Mo-im to appeal to TV stations to
>               highlight the concerns and sufferings of the disabled. He
>               also suggested that the government recognize those who
>               dedicate themselves to the welfare of the disabled.
> 
>               The minister, in a report to President Kim, said that the
>               government plans to enable the disabled to manage the vending
>               machines which the government has been running, so that they
>               can live on their own efforts.
> 
>            --------------------------------------------------------------------
>                            (C) COPYRIGHT 1998 THE HANKOOKILBO
http://www.korealink.co.kr/14_1/9807/t4151465.htm


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