14 Disabled Organizations in Gwangju Buk-gu Declare Support for City Council Candidate Lee Jeong-cheol

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[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Lee Jeongcheol, a preliminary candidate for the 4th electoral district city councilor in Buk-gu, Gwangju, announced on the 25th that representatives of 14 organizations and facilities related to disability welfare in Buk-gu, Gwangju, declared their support.

Fourteen organizations, including Buk-gu Disability Welfare Association (Han Sangdeuk), Gwangju Disability Love Welfare Association (Choi Heunggyu), and Disability Culture and Arts Support Center (Jung Jinsam), held a press conference on the morning of the 25th at Lee Jeongcheol’s election campaign office at the Gwangju City Council, stating, “We support a politician who can represent and serve the residents,” and endorsed Lee Jeongcheol as the right candidate.

They cited reasons for supporting this preliminary candidate such as “his efforts to improve systems for the welfare of the disabled while serving as a basic councilor and his communication with residents.”

During his activities as a basic councilor, candidate Lee Jeongcheol has been recognized as a councilor who focused on legislative activities for socially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups by promoting ▲the 2019 Buk-gu Barrier-Free City Ordinance ▲and the 2021 amendment to the Social Welfare Fund Establishment and Operation Ordinance to create a separate account for fines on violations of disabled-only parking zones.

The ‘Buk-gu Barrier-Free City Ordinance’ is evaluated as having established an institutional foundation for creating a barrier-free city where not only socially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, the disabled, and pregnant women but also local residents can live more safely and conveniently.

The ‘Amendment to the Social Welfare Fund Establishment and Operation Ordinance’ aims to use the revenue from fines on disabled-only parking violations as a separate fund to maintain disabled-only parking zones and improve parking conditions, focusing on enhancing welfare and convenience for the disabled.

The 14 organizations stated, “Candidate Lee Jeongcheol has been observed listening to voices from the field for policy and system improvements to enhance the quality of life for the disabled, while communicating with neighbors and local residents with a humble attitude.”

They added, “If some politicians forget their duties and only aim to maintain their livelihood as councilors, it would be a grave misjudgment. Through fair competition, a truly capable person should be elected to the council to check the administration and represent and serve the residents.”

The organizations further said, “We firmly believe that if preliminary candidate Lee Jeongcheol advances to the city council through this local election, he will work even harder in legislative activities based on his four years of experience as a basic councilor, and we hereby deliver the declaration of support from 14 representatives of disability welfare organizations and facilities based in Buk-gu.”

In his greeting, preliminary candidate Lee Jeongcheol expressed, “I deeply appreciate the support and encouragement from disability organizations,” and said, “If elected as a city councilor, I will prioritize legislative efforts to improve systems for socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled and elderly and strive to create a fair Gwangju without discrimination between disabled and non-disabled people.”

Meanwhile, the support declaration included participation from the following: Buk-gu Disability Welfare Association (Han Sangdeuk), Gwangju Disability Love Welfare Association (Choi Heunggyu), Disability Culture and Arts Support Center (Jung Jinsam), Gwangju Disability Informatization Association (Choi Seungwon), Pureundeul Residential Facility (Ahn Hyochul), Yegurina Welfare Center (Kim Yonggeun), Gwangju Disabled Art Association (Moon Kyungyang), International Korean Disabled Art Council (Park Jin), Eoullim Disabled Independent Living Center (Kim Jonghun), Barrier-Free Buk-gu Making Citizens’ Movement Headquarters (Kim Yonggyu), Gwangju Disabled Culture Creation Support Center (Jo Byeongmu), Gwangju Disability Informatization Association Buk-gu Branch (Shin Daehyun), Yeondu Disabled Group Home (Kang Mijeong), and Gwangju Barrier-Free Empathy City (Park Seonju).

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr

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