"Five Individuals Including Hwang Kyo-ahn, Hong Joon-pyo, Ha Tae-kyung, Joo Ho-young, and Park Yong-chan Who Made Discriminatory Remarks Against Disabled People Must Lose Election"

Future United Party candidate for Jongno District, Hwang Kyo-ahn, is appealing for support from residents on Songwol-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, on the 9th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] A disability rights organization announced that it will campaign against five candidates in the 21st National Assembly election who previously made derogatory, hateful, or discriminatory remarks about people with disabilities.

On the 9th, the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) held a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, naming Hwang Kyo-ahn, the United Future Party candidate for Jongno-gu, Seoul; Hong Joon-pyo, an independent candidate for Suseong-gu B, Daegu; Ha Tae-kyung, the United Future Party candidate for Haeundae-gu A, Busan; Joo Ho-young, the United Future Party candidate for Suseong-gu A, Daegu; and Park Yong-chan, the United Future Party candidate for Yeongdeungpo-gu B, Seoul, as targets for their campaign to defeat them.

The organization claimed that candidate Hwang insulted people with disabilities by saying in August last year, "(President Moon Jae-in) has become mute regarding North Korea's missile provocations," and during a campaign speech on the 2nd, "Short people cannot even hold the proportional representation ballot paper with their own hands," belittling disabilities.

Candidate Hong had previously said, "The world has become one-eyed," while Ha Tae-kyung called someone a "mute who has eaten honey," Joo Ho-young referred to a "lame prime minister," and Park Yong-chan stated, "People with twisted minds and wrong thoughts are the real disabled."

Jeonjangyeon criticized these remarks as "statements that can cause humiliation or belittlement of people with disabilities."

They added, "During this election period, derogatory, hateful, and discriminatory remarks against people with disabilities are pouring in like a flood," and raised their voices, saying, "We will definitely judge these anti-human rights politicians in the April 15 general election."

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