[The Typing Baker] Unintended Discrimination Against Disabled People... Rooted in Eugenics and Nationalism

Disabled Women Deprived of the Freedom to Have Children
Forced Healing Is Violence... Creating an Inclusive Environment Is Neglected

The future depicted in the movie Gattaca is quite bleak. Even before pregnancy, the fetus's genes are manipulated to create superior offspring. What if conception occurs naturally without genetic modification? Such individuals are discarded as second-class citizens in society. Being a second-class citizen means having limited job options. This is not just a story unique to the film. It reflects the reality of disabled people who have been marginalized in our society, deprived of the freedom to choose jobs or move freely simply because they were born with disabilities.

The book Violence in the Name of Healing points out that discrimination against disabled women originated from eugenics. Eugenics is a scientific study of genetic factors aimed at preventing the increase of populations with inferior genes. The intellectuals who embraced eugenics during the Japanese colonial period and sought to reform Koreans influenced even South Korea’s authoritarian regimes.

A representative example is the "Healthy Baby Selection Contest" held until the 1980s. The author criticizes that the ideal citizen?healthy, physically resembling Westerners, and non-disabled?desired by the state was reflected in these contests.

This is also related to the reproduction of disabled women, specifically pregnancy. Disabled women were not granted the freedom to have children. Until 1999, disabled people were often subjected to sterilization under the "Maternal and Child Health Act." If a patient had a disease with potential hereditary risk, sterilization was possible after government reporting. Because of this law, in 1975, twelve women were required to undergo related examinations due to their disabilities. Authorities judged that nine of these women had hereditary disabilities and needed sterilization.

The state and society took away disabled women’s freedom to conceive and instead forced healing upon them. Paradoxically, this healing caused discrimination and violence. By focusing solely on healing, society failed to create an environment where disabled people could live together with others. The author also describes how families of disabled people became targets of violence. The responsibility for healing was not borne by the state but left to families. Families suffered lifelong torment under the moral imperative that any cost must be paid to heal the physical or mental health of disabled members. In fact, in 2010, a construction worker, distressed that his disabled son could not receive welfare benefits due to his meager salary, took an extreme step.

This book is based on the research papers and additional studies of the author, Associate Professor Kim Eun-jung of Syracuse University. However, like the aforementioned Gattaca, it uses numerous examples from literature, film, media, and social phenomena to aid readers’ understanding. The preface mentions Dr. Hwang Woo-suk’s stem cell research, while the main text includes novels such as Chumul, The Ancestor of Kangaroo, and Simcheongjeon.

It also delivers sharp criticism of narratives known to have helped disabled rights. A prime example is the film Dogani (Silenced). Dogani, which deals with sexual violence in facilities for disabled people, sparked public outrage. This anger led to policies such as strengthened supervision of disabled facilities. However, the author criticizes that Dogani obscured the core issues of disability. It does not address why disabled people must live separated from society or why they cannot live together with non-disabled people outside facilities. Even now, disability rights groups are demanding deinstitutionalization and taking to the streets.

This is a time when the voices of disabled people are louder than ever. From subway delay protests by the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination to the National Parents’ Solidarity for Disability Rights urging budget allocation for disability rights protection, activism is growing. The reality remains that disabled people still face extreme choices or death at the hands of their families amid societal misunderstanding. Does the discrimination disabled people speak of seem vague? If so, this book will clarify your perspective.

Violence in the Name of Healing | Kim Eun-jung | Humanitas | 424 pages | 23,000 KRW

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