[Side B] 10 Years of Deinstitutionalization for Disabled People: Gyeongnamssi "I Gained Dreams and Freedom" (Part 1)

A Proud Minority, A Better World for the Non-Mainstream

Living 15 Years in a Disability Facility Since 1995
Ordered to Keep Hands Raised and Endured Verbal Abuse

Left the Facility in 2010 and Lives Alone
Goes Shopping with a Care Assistant
"I Want to Find My Lost Family"

On the 12th, Kim Kyung-nam, whom I met at Nodel Disabled Night School in Jongno-gu, Seoul (Photo by Lee Hyun-joo)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Around noon on the 12th, the Nodeul Disabled Night School in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul was bustling with excitement for an upcoming outdoor class. Students in wheelchairs gathered between the entrance and the hallway, chatting together.

As I got off the elevator, momentarily unsure where to go, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a support worker said, "Ah, you came for an interview. Mr. Gyeongnam, someone is here to interview you!"

In less than a minute, Mr. Kim Gyeongnam (43) appeared wearing a mask. He gestured for me to follow him, and we went together. Entering classroom number 5, a 10-cell notebook where Gyeongnam had been practicing writing Hangul was spread out on the desk. The words "I," "you," "we," "school," "Hyehwa Station," and "Nodeul Night School" were written in order, and Gyeongnam was in the middle of writing "Hyehwa Station" and "Nodeul Night School."

Gyeongnam immediately made a phone call. "Busy. Looks like they're working," he said. Shortly after, Cheon Seongho (49), the teacher representative who was to join the interview, entered the classroom asking, "Gyeongnam, what's going on?"

In 1995, Gyeongnam was admitted to a facility for people with disabilities in Cheorwon. As a teenager, he got lost in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo, and was unable to return home.

Most disability facilities in Korea cause isolation from others. Because they require residents to act only as instructed in closed spaces, making choices is difficult, and living outside the facility is challenging.

"They yelled a lot, told me to raise my hand if I didn't listen, and cursed at me."

Fifteen years passed like that. He said he did laundry and other chores at the facility. "I was called to study in the office or studied in the physical therapy room."

Gyeongnam 씨 is participating in a disability awareness improvement project through collaboration on the 'Seoul-type Rights-Centered Customized Public Jobs for Severely Disabled' program. (Provided by Nodeul Disabled Night School)

In 2010, he decided to leave the facility with his friend Heeyeong, who had lived there with him. It was not easy to adjust at first. Shortly after coming to the night school, Gyeongnam, who has developmental disabilities, often suddenly sang or paced back and forth. He also shouted and cursed. Ten years later, the Gyeongnam I saw during this interview was hard to imagine from those memories. With the help of assistants, he used to come to Nodeul Night School, but now he takes the subway and attends the night school on his own.

When asked what makes him happy these days, Gyeongnam said, "Work makes me happy. Holding this and protecting it on the low-floor bus," pointing to a sign placed on the chair beside him. The sign, which reads "Low-floor bus wheelchair-only space," is part of a disability awareness campaign requesting more low-floor buses. He said that holding the sign for six hours in front of Seoul National University Hospital is hard but makes him happy.

Gyeongnam, who likes kimchi and green onion kimchi, shops and cooks meals with his support worker using his salary. On payday, he smiles saying he also eats milk and sausages. Gyeongnam said he likes singing classes the most. When asked about his favorite songs, his expression brightened. "I like 'Soyanggang Maiden' the best, also like Jaok. The singer is Hyuncheol."

Mr. Gyeongnam likes writing in Hangul. His favorite words are his own name and "Nodeul Yahak." The notebook on the left is where Mr. Gyeongnam practiced Hangul at home to pass the time after he was unable to attend the night school due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It amounted to a total of four volumes. (Photo by Lee Hyun-joo)

When asked about his dream, Gyeongnam fiddled with an eraser on the desk and rested his chin on one hand. After a moment of thought, he said, "I want to go to Ganghwa Island. I've never been there, so I want to go."

Finally, Gyeongnam said, "I want to find my mother." He wants to find his lost family. That is why he agreed to have his photo published in this article.

"It's been so long that I don't remember well, but I want to see my mother. Please be sure to let me know later."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.