Kyunga Hwang: "Daejeon City's Disability Employment Rate at 3.1%, Below Legal Standard"

"Culture and Arts-Based Standard Workplaces Should Be Established
at Agencies Failing to Meet Disability Employment Obligations"

Daejeon City Council member Kyungah Hwang (Photo by Daejeon City Council)

On March 16, Daejeon City Council Member Kyunga Hwang (People Power Party, Proportional Representation) pointed out during a five-minute free speech at the 1st plenary session of the 295th temporary meeting, "As of 2025, the employment rate of persons with disabilities among Daejeon City public officials is 3.1%, which falls short of the legal standard of 3.8%." She added, "As a result, Daejeon City is paying hundreds of millions of won each year as an employment levy."

She went on to say, "It is unfortunate that resources which could have been used to create jobs if people with disabilities had been directly employed are instead being spent on levy payments," and argued, "Let us establish culture and arts-based standard workplaces, especially among affiliated agencies that have failed to meet the employment obligations for persons with disabilities."

Council Member Hwang called for the practical revitalization of the mandatory employment system for persons with disabilities and emphasized the need for a variety of employment types.

The mandatory employment system for persons with disabilities is a key policy that requires the state and local governments to employ a certain percentage of people with disabilities, aiming to promote their economic independence and broader social participation.

Hwang stressed that, in order to revitalize this system, policy efforts are needed to identify and expand various forms of employment.

She specifically cited cases in Daejeon, such as the "Happy Ensemble" at the Happy Woori Welfare Center, where people with disabilities participate as main actors in culture and the arts. She explained that a policy approach linking such cultural and artistic activities with employment for persons with disabilities is necessary.

As an alternative for expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities, she proposed the establishment of "Daejeon-type standard workplaces for cultural and artistic activities." The idea is to set up culture and arts-based standard workplaces—especially at affiliated agencies that have not met the employment obligations for persons with disabilities—while Daejeon City provides institutional support and private art organizations take responsibility for training and managing artists, thus building a cooperative model.

Hwang concluded, "Employment for people with disabilities is not simply a welfare policy, but an important indicator of expanding social integration and participation in economic activities within the community," and urged, "I hope Daejeon City will move beyond passively paying the employment levy and establish itself as a proactive city that supports the economic independence of persons with disabilities."

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