[Report] Jeonjangyeon "Why Should Innocent People Kneel?" Lee Jun-seok's 'Hostage' Remark Sparks Anger

Jeonjangyeon January 28 Gyeongbokgung Station-Hyehwa Station Morning Protest
Kneeled Kim Yeji "Deeply Responsible as a Politician"
Jang Hye-young "Regrets Insulting and Belittling Expressions Toward Next Ruling Party Leader"
Jeonjangyeon "Why Should Innocent People Kneel?"
"Lee Jun-seok, Come Here and Apologize in Person"

On the morning of the 28th, Kim Ye-ji, a member of the People Power Party, who attended the nationwide Disabled Persons Discrimination Abolition Solidarity's morning commute protest starting at Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3, is speaking.
Photo by Kang Joo-hee kjh818@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] "We apologize for the inconvenience on the morning commute," "We have been shouting for 21 years, but nothing has changed."

At 8 a.m. on the 28th, the 25th "Taking the Subway on the Morning Commute" protest by the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) took place, moving from Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 to Hyehwa Station on Line 4. Jeonjangyeon has been holding subway protests during commuting hours since December last year, demanding the guarantee of mobility rights for persons with disabilities and securing budget for their rights.

At around 8:20 a.m., Jeonjangyeon members boarded a Line 3 train at Gyeongbokgung Station and traveled to Chungmuro Station, then transferred to Line 4, passing through Myeongdong and Hansung University Entrance Station before arriving at the final destination, Hyehwa Station. Normally, to get from Gyeongbokgung Station to Hyehwa Station, one only needs to transfer once at Chungmuro Station, but about 10 protest participants in electric wheelchairs took a route involving multiple transfers to minimize the number of elevator rides and make transfers easier. As the protest delayed train operations, friction arose between citizens and protest participants. The participants apologized for the inconvenience during the morning commute but asked for understanding, saying, "We have experienced inconvenience our whole lives."

Park Kyung-seok, Jeonjangyeon’s representative, said before the movement, "Many citizens use the subway on their way to work. Why should 'taking the subway on the morning commute' be a special phrase? Isn't this something that should be taken for granted?" He added, "Because we could not move, we could not receive education. We have been continuously speaking out since the Kim Dae-jung administration through the Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, and Moon Jae-in administrations. Regarding Seoul City, we have spoken to mayors Lee Myung-bak, Oh Se-hoon, Park Won-soon, and now again to Mayor Oh Se-hoon," emphasizing the ongoing struggle.

Organizations advocating for the human rights of persons with disabilities have been campaigning for over 20 years for safe mobility rights since lift accidents occurred at Oido Station in 2001 and Balsan Station in 2002. Thanks to these efforts, elevators have been installed in subway stations and low-floor buses introduced, improving the situation compared to the past. However, persons with disabilities still face significant difficulties in mobility. Among the 283 Seoul subway stations, 22 still lack elevators. The revised Transportation Vulnerable Act passed in December last year mandates the introduction of low-floor buses when replacing city and village buses, but excludes intercity and express buses, leaving problems unresolved.

On the morning of the 28th, during the nationwide protest by the Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, Lee Hyung-sook, president of the Seoul Disabled Independent Living Center Council, boarded Seoul Subway Line 4 to demand the guarantee of mobility rights for persons with disabilities and the securing of budget./Photo by Kang Joo-hee kjh818@asiae.co.kr

On this day, Lee Hyung-sook, chairperson of the Seoul Disabled Independent Living Center Council, who participated in the Jeonjangyeon protest, said, "We have been unable to move and thus unable to receive education our entire lives. The state has not guaranteed basic rights and has confined persons with disabilities to prison-like residential facilities," adding, "We have shouted for 21 years, but nothing has changed. I want to get a promise from President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol that this will be reflected directly in the budget, not just in words."

Lee strongly criticized Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, who described the morning subway protests as "taking citizens hostage," demanding, "Come out and say it in a publicity campaign." He said, "You said you would come, so come out. Do not distort the morning publicity campaign where persons with disabilities demand their rightful rights in a petty way on Facebook," expressing anger, "Why should Assemblywoman Kim Ye-ji kneel on the ground and apologize?"

Earlier, Lee Jun-seok targeted Jeonjangyeon throughout the past weekend, saying the morning protests cause inconvenience to citizens. Through Facebook, he warned, "I demand an immediate stop to protest methods that unconditionally hold the current unspecified majority hostage," and "If the protests continue, I will go to the site and confront them." In response, Kim Ye-ji, a visually impaired People Power Party assemblywoman, attended the Jeonjangyeon protest that day and said, "As a politician, I deeply feel responsible. Politics has shifted conflicts onto citizens," kneeling and apologizing. Lee repeatedly demanded Lee Jun-seok, "Do not make others apologize for your mistakes; come here yourself and apologize."

On the 28th at Hyehwa Station on Seoul Subway Line 4, Jang Hye-young, a Justice Party lawmaker, is speaking at the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination's morning protest./Photo by Kang Joo-hee kjh818@asiae.co.kr

The Democratic Party and the Justice Party also raised critical voices against Lee Jun-seok’s remarks. Lee Sang-min, a Democratic Party assemblyman, said, "They say a bad calf grows horns on its buttocks. No matter how young you are, what good is it? Your basic foundation is regressive and a mess," and strongly urged, "I strongly recommend you receive character education first."

Justice Party assemblywoman Jang Hye-young, who also attended the protest, said, "Citizens taking direct action to point out political neglect of responsibility and urge correction is a freedom and right of assembly and protest guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea," and criticized, "I deeply regret that the next ruling party leader repeatedly makes insulting and belittling remarks about this."

She continued, "This protest is not only for persons with disabilities. It is a fight so that all citizens are not excluded from mobility rights, education rights, and the right to live in their communities," emphasizing, "This is exactly where politics should be now. Those with authority and responsibility should come to the protest or prepare for official meetings and listen carefully to the voices demanding mobility rights."

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