Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, met with disability groups on the 19th and outlined pledges including jobs for people with disabilities.
At his campaign office in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, that day, the candidate met with about 50 officials from disability-related groups including the Korea Disability Organizations Association and the Disability Rights College Youth Network and held a policy roundtable.
At the meeting, the candidate said, "Over the past five years, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and I have worked very hard to walk with the underprivileged. If you trust me, I will devote myself to carrying out disability policy over the next four years," adding, "We will carefully review the policies and concerns you proposed today, secure a budget, and make them a reality."
The candidate named jobs as the top priority in disability policy. The candidate said, "I think the first priority in disability policy is jobs," adding, "What matters most is creating as many jobs as possible within the bounds of the budget and administration."
He continued, "Second is health, because people with disabilities face limits on physical activity that make active living difficult," adding, "Creating conditions to exercise even in difficult circumstances and building social conditions is just as important as jobs."
He added, "To do that, mobility rights for people with disabilities must be guaranteed," and said, "Fortunately, thanks to steady investment, we have completed 'one route per station,' and there are not many places in world history that have achieved this goal."
One route per station refers to a path that allows transportation-vulnerable people, including those with disabilities, to travel by elevator from the surface to the platform without assistance.
He went on, "The '2530 daily vitality project for people with disabilities' announced last year is also in that same vein," adding, "We will invest a total of 2 trillion won by 2030, increase quality jobs to as many as 12,000, and step by step lower barriers to mobility and culture."
The candidate also said, "We have so far expanded lifelong education centers for people with developmental disabilities to every district," and added, "We have now secured a considerable number of low-floor buses, and with more effort, 100% seems possible."
Officials from disability groups attending the meeting proposed policies such as barrier-free measures. Seo In-hwan, policy committee chair of the Korea Disability Association, said, "I think we need policies for older adults with disabilities," adding, "There are many low-floor buses now, but for people with visual impairments and others, they are inconvenient in terms of service."