News

Volume 3 Issue 12 - June 15, 2005

South Korea moves towards Disability Discrimination Acts

DNIS News Network - In South Korea, the Democratic Labour Party and the Disability Discrimination Acts Solidarity in Korea (D.D.A.S.K.) announced a plan for seeking legislation on prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities (referred to as Disability Discrimination Acts).

The campaign was unveiled at a press conference held at the National Assembly, according to Disabled Peoples’ International Korea. D.D.A.S.K. is an umbrella association of disability rights groups formed on 16 April 2003.

The most contentious issue in the proposed legislation is the demand for the introduction of strong punitive action through a system independent of the existing legal system, and establishment of the Disability Discrimination Prohibition Committee (D.D.P.C.) under the direct responsibility of the President.

The D.D.A.S.K. had sent a draft proposal of the act to different political parties, but except for the Democratic Labour Party, all of them expressed unwillingness to proactively react to the proposal.

Meanwhile, the government and the Uri Party (ruling party) plan to propose their own version of D.D.A. that has been confidentially prepared by the Ministry of Health & Welfare.

Source:DPI Korea