The International community recognizes all countries are responsible to guarantee that people with disabilities enjoy their inherent rights to life on an equal basis with others and to ensure their basic freedoms. Korea also ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2008. Since 2008, when the Disability Discrimination Act was enacted, there were various demands to improve human rights for people with disabilities. Increased social participation and awareness of rights of the persons with disabilities was another result. However, given the fact that braille type election communications were not made, an infringement dispute on people with disabilities began. Some disabled people who tried to cast a preliminary vote in Jeju were observed by an election observer. The social infrastructures to support the human rights of people with disabilities fell far short.

In June 2003, North Korea enacted the Disability Protection Act and it was signed in July 2013. However, due to the vulnerable social and welfare safety system, vulnerable people such as children, seniors, females and persons with disabilities faced difficulties. The statistics regarding education for the children with disabilities are unknown. Recently, the U.S. State Department expressed dire concern over the improvement of human rights for persons with disabilities and human rights in North Korea.

Issues related to the disabled are drawing attention in society. One incident happened in the election of members for the National Assembly. Concerns were raised by the U.S. State Department on human rights for people with disabilities in North Korea. The U.S. State Department cited unfair treatment of people with disabilities in Islamic States in the Middle East. Protection for disabled people was not available when the catastrophe happened caused by a natural disaster, the Tsunami in Japan.

The publication in Korea has significant meanings internationally. The text and manual on international human rights for persons with disabilities were published and introduced written by world-renowned scholars at a situation when Oh Joon, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations was serving as the President of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention. 

The book explains various kinds of rights that are guaranteed in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The readers can easily understand the practical education activities of human rights issues for People with Disabilities. The book has four chapters: ‘How to understand the Rights of People with Disabilities’, ‘The Introduction of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities by the UN’, ’The Introduction of Advocacy Activities to Support the Rights of People with Disabilities’ and ‘Understanding the Rights of People with Disabilities through Learning Activities’. In the appendix, a dictionary for disabilities and human rights and important references were added. It will be used for research material for undergraduate schools as well as graduate schools studying human rights issues related to people with disabilities, experts and activists.

Professor Jaecheon Won, Director of the Unification and Peace Research Institute of Handong Global University said, “I hope this publication will serve as an opportunity to improve the conditions in North Korean for the vulnerable disabled people and children. This is a key document to strengthen the human rights capacity of South Korea and to prepare for unification.” In addition, the first Human Rights Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Kyeongseo Park stated, “I hope this book will be the guideline for practicing human rights. This will make a better world for all people by providing for the dignity and value of every human in every field.” 

링크 공유