Ordinance Proposal for 'Support for Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Disabilities' Passed by Seoul Metropolitan Council

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Eun-mo] A Seoul city ordinance bill that provides the basis for supporting people with disabilities to leave specific facilities and live together in the local community has passed the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

On the afternoon of the 21st, the Seoul Metropolitan Council held the 2nd plenary session of the 308th regular meeting and passed the "Seoul Metropolitan Ordinance on the Support for Deinstitutionalization and Community Settlement of Persons with Disabilities." Among the 63 council members present, 54 voted in favor, 2 opposed, and 7 abstained.

Proposed by Seo Yoon-gi, a Democratic Party council member, this ordinance specifies the basis for supporting persons with disabilities to become independent from residential facilities for persons with disabilities and live together with non-disabled people in the community. It was proposed with the intention of recognizing persons with disabilities not as passive objects of protection but as autonomous subjects of human rights.

However, as some disability organizations expressed concerns that it was effectively equivalent to the reduction or closure of residential facilities for persons with disabilities, the content of the ordinance was amended during the review process by the council’s standing committee (Health and Welfare Committee).

The amendment narrowed the scope of "residential facilities for persons with disabilities" by excluding facilities for infants and young children with disabilities, short-term residential facilities, and group homes, thus reducing the target group for deinstitutionalization compared to the original bill. Additionally, the purpose of transforming residential facilities was softened from "support for community independence" to "housing support, community integration, and social welfare service support." The clause allowing the mayor of Seoul and district heads to support decision-making for persons with disabilities deemed incapable of making decisions independently was deleted. In the plenary session’s supportive debate, Councilor Seo stated, "This will be a great half-step forward that creates hope for persons with disabilities and their families."

On the other hand, Kim So-young of the Minsheng Party opposed the bill, arguing that deinstitutionalization without a proper system for disability independence lowers satisfaction among persons with disabilities and increases the burden on families. Kim Hwa-sook of the Democratic Party also criticized it as "a land grab and a patchwork ordinance."

After the ordinance was passed, the Seoul city government issued a statement through its spokesperson, saying, "The ordinance mainly supports deinstitutionalized persons with disabilities and does not prohibit all persons with disabilities from living in facilities," and added, "We respect the intent of the ordinance considering the human rights of persons with disabilities and have decided not to request a re-examination."

The city further stated, "As Seoul aims to be a 'city where persons with disabilities are happy,' it has the responsibility to listen to and accommodate the two major demands: those who want deinstitutionalization and those who want protection within facilities," and said, "We will do our best to prepare policies that can accommodate the diverse needs of persons with disabilities."

On the same day, the plenary session also handled the "Seoul Metropolitan Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Cultural Contents Industry," which provides the basis for systematic cultivation and support of Seoul’s cultural contents industry. This ordinance integrated and coordinated similar bills proposed by Lee Jong-hwan of the People Power Party and Lee Byung-do of the Democratic Party.

The partial amendment to the "Seoul Metropolitan Ordinance on the Prohibition of Workplace Harassment," originally proposed by Councilor Lee Byung-do, was also passed. The amendment added "outsourced agencies" and "welfare facilities supported by the city" to the scope of application, establishing the basis for protecting workers from workplace harassment occurring in these facilities.

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