Rep. Yang Hyang-ja Urges Passage of Bill to Establish National Trauma Healing Center for State Violence

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Yang Hyangja, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), urged the prompt passage of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the National Trauma Healing Center for State Violence Victims.

The bill, which Yang Hyangja proposed as the main sponsor last September, was submitted to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 17th, five months later, and is scheduled to be discussed in the bill subcommittee.

The bill includes ▲ psychological pain healing for victims of state violence and their families ▲ healing and rehabilitation of trauma and support for social adaptation ▲ research, development, education, and promotion for healing and rehabilitation ▲ support from the state and local governments for the center.

Rep. Yang emphasized, “A significant number of state violence victims are elderly and urgently need healing, and 55.8% of those related to the May 18 Democratic Movement suffer from severe symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder,” adding, “Systematic support and healing for victims of state violence is the state's obvious responsibility.”

In fact, about 40 victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising have committed suicide. This figure is 500 times higher than the suicide rate of 0.02% in the total Korean population.

The establishment of the National Trauma Center was a campaign pledge of President Moon Jae-in and a joint pledge of the Democratic Party of Korea candidates in the Gwangju region during the last general election.

However, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the competent ministry, has consistently taken a passive stance, citing a lack of legal grounds, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance also expressed reluctance to reflect the budget, which, according to Rep. Yang, hindered the project's progress.

Last year, Rep. Yang urged Minister Jin Young of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki at the National Assembly Budget Committee plenary session on the necessity of establishing the center and called for national funding support. As a result, 300 million won was reflected for design service fees, and the project finally proceeded.

Rep. Yang stated, “Since the design service fee has already been reflected and consultations for reflecting it in next year's main budget have begun, I urge the prompt passage by the relevant standing committee, the Public Administration and Security Committee,” adding, “Once the bill is passed, not only will healing for victims of state violence, which has been fragmented, be possible, but systematic research will also be enabled.”

The Trauma Healing Center was confirmed as a campaign project of President Moon Jae-in in 2017, and in January 2019, a feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety determined Gwangju as the optimal site. This project, fully funded by the national government and scheduled for completion in 2023, is planned to be established on the vacant land of the former Armed Forces Integrated Hospital.

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