YouTuber Park Wi disclosed that he suffered an accident after falling from his wheelchair while getting off the KTX. He appealed for improvements to safety environments, saying that a small carelessness can be a major accident for people with disabilities, but there were mixed reactions to his decision to even release CCTV footage of the incident.
On the 21st, Park Wi posted a video titled "CCTV 영상을 공개하는 이유" on his YouTube channel and revealed the accident he experienced after using the KTX recently to give a lecture. The accident occurred while getting off the train and moving along a ramp. As Park Wi was descending in his wheelchair, a wheel caught on the foot of a community service worker who was on the ramp, and the impact caused his body to lurch forward and fall to the floor.
The released CCTV captured the dizzying moment. Park Wi put his arm down to brace himself as he fell, and fortunately avoided hitting his head first. However, it was not something Park Wi could dismiss as a simple fall. Because he has almost no sensation in his lower body, it can be difficult to notice immediately if a fracture or injury occurs. He said, "After I was hurt, I have never fallen from such a height in 12 years," and explained, "The scariest thing is that I have no sensation, so I might not know even if there is a fracture or crack."
He actually went to the hospital after the accident; no fractures were found, but he said he has back pain and is monitoring the condition. Meanwhile, he did not hide the anger he felt at the time of the accident. While presuming that the community service worker did not act intentionally, Park Wi said he was "very angry" at the action of placing a foot on the ramp itself.
However, it was reported that the worker courteously apologized to Park Wi immediately after the accident.
Park Wi said he released the CCTV to prevent recurrence. He explained that depending on the degree of disability, some people find it difficult to support themselves with their arms when falling, and the same accident could lead to serious head or shoulder injuries for someone else. He added, "One mistake can lead to a major accident," and emphasized that although the mobility environment for people with disabilities has improved compared with before, parts that remain unsafe still need improvement.
Voices agreeing with Park Wi's point were heard. Because ramps are routine pathways for wheelchair users, even a small obstacle can lead to a serious fall, so there was a response that public discussion based on the actual accident video was necessary.
On the other hand, separate from the intent to raise safety issues, some said the method of releasing the CCTV should have been more cautious. Since the community service worker who caused the accident did not act intentionally and apologized on the spot, critics said Park Wi, given his influential channel, should have considered the possibility that revealing the situation could concentrate criticism on the individual.
Some netizens supported Park Wi, saying "It was necessary to raise awareness because it could have led to a major accident," while others responded, "The person who made the mistake could feel considerable burden and hurt if they see the video," "There needs to be a distinction between raising issues about facilities and safety systems and exposing an individual's mistake," and "It's unfortunate when someone trying to help gets criticized even though it wasn't intentional."
Ultimately, views on this incident are divided between those who say actual risks should be actively publicized to secure safe mobility rights for people with disabilities and those who say that even if the issue is for the public good, the method of disclosure should be careful so responsibility does not fall solely on an individual.
Meanwhile, Park Wi married Song Ji-eun, formerly of the group Secret, in 2024, and after being diagnosed with total paralysis from a fall in 2014, he has been sharing his daily life and rehabilitation process through his YouTube channel "위라클".
[photo] "YouTube"
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