Chained Disability Activists Strangled by Police ‘Like that day 23 years ago’ — 국제전략센터/The International Strategy Center

This article is a translation of Biminer's "Disabled man in chains choked by police 'just like that day 23 years ago'".

Translation: Rory Ainsworth, Lee-Hwang Yujin

58th 'Commute by Subway' protest underway at Seoul Station Sound equipment confiscated, press conference dismissed before even beginningDirector Park Kyung-seok chains himself to an activist "to avoid being dragged away "Police and Seoul Metro employees strangle Park while attempting to cut chains

Park Kyung-seok, director of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination(SADD), chained himself to the electric wheelchair of a disabled activist next to him to prevent being dragged out. Seoul Metro employees and police officers used excessive force while cutting the chains, causing Park's neck to be strangled by the chains and the strings of the picket. His face turned red as his airways were blocked. Photo by Kang Hye-min

A Seoul Metro employee is cutting the chain around director Park Kyung-seok's neck with a chain cutter.

Park Kyung-seok, director of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination(SADD), has a metal chain wrapped around his neck. He is also wearing a picket. Police and Seoul Metro employees grab the chains and ropes without regard. The director's face turns red as the lines around his neck are pulled in all directions. Park gags. Activists around him scream at the police to let go, but instead of backing down the police push harder. The metal chain binds Park with the body and wheelchair of Seo Myung-seok – a disability activist with brain lesions.
While police, Seoul Metro workers, activists, and reporters push and pull, the chain around Park's neck tightens. As the screams intensify, a large chain cutter nearly half the size of an adult male is raised. Seo Myung-seok's legs start to tremor. His trembling travels vividly amidst the chaos. All of this happened in under 10 minutes.
Even after forcefully removed, the chain left a clear red mark on Park's neck. Park rests his head in his hands as he catches his breath. When asked if he is okay he gestures vaguely, unable to speak for a while. He takes off the picket as if it is heavy. He stretches his t-shirt collar so nothing touches his neck. For a lingering moment he keeps his eyes closed, rubbing his throat over and over again.

Activist Seo Myung-seok is strongly resisting as Seoul Metro employees bring in a chain cutter.
Photo by Kang Hye-min

Park Kyung-seok had already pulled out the metal chains 23 years ago in Seoul Station. On February 6, 2001, he occupied the railway with some students as the principal of the Nodeul School for the Disabled. It was shortly after the Oido Station Lift Accident1). At the time, disabled individuals were demanding a public apology from Seoul city for the accident as well as the installation of elevators in all subway stations.

1) Oido Station Lift Accident: On January 22, 2001, two wheelchair users visited their son in Seoul for the Lunar New Year. While they were using a recently installed vertical wheelchair lift at Oido station, the lift failed, dropping the couple 23 feet to the ground. The mother passed away in the hospital and the father suffered severe injuries.

Facing a blaring train approaching at full speed, severely disabled activists chained their bodies together to resist being dragged away.

February 6, 2024, at 8 a.m., on the Seoul Station line 1 platform SADD conducted its 58th "Commute by Subway" protest. Disabled individuals stood at Seoul Station just like 23 years ago, this time demanding that Seoul’s mayor Oh Se-hoon reinstate the rights-based public jobs program. Through this program, local governments prioritize the employment of "severely disabled individuals who have been discharged from facilities and have been excluded from the job market." These positions are meant to uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by focusing on advocacy, cultural/artistic activities, and disability awareness. However, this year Mayor Oh Se-hoon discontinued the program altogether, resulting in 400 severely disabled workers being laid off. The press conference meant to hold the mayor accountable could never begin. The event ended within an hour, and most of the sound equipment was confiscated before any slogans were chanted.

At 8 a.m. on the 6th, SADD gathered to conduct the 58th "Commute by Subway" protest on Seoul Station's line 1 platform. Activist Moon Ae-rin is protesting against the police blocking the train doors. Photo by Kang Hye-min.

Park Jin-yong, head of the Seoul Metro Customer Safety Support Center, ordered able-bodied activists to evacuate. When he said "pull them out," Seoul Metro workers dragged the activists out of the station. During this process, one able-bodied male activist was detained.
Seoul Metro workers and police officers continued to disrupt news coverage, using their entire bodies to push reporters out of the scene of conflict. A bewildered and disheartened photojournalist from Newsis stood outside holding their camera after being dragged out. Even if they managed to get close enough, Seoul Metro and police blocked the camera lens with their hands insisting it was "dangerous."

A Seoul Metro employee is covering the camera lens with their hand as a reporter attempts to capture disability activists being dragged out. Photo by Kang Hye-min.

Seoul Metro no longer refers to SADD by their name. Instead, this is their public announcement: "Dear a 'certain disability organization.' Speeches, shouting, and causing disturbances without permission from railway personnel are prohibited by the Railway Safety Act. We ask that the 'certain disability organization' evacuate the station immediately. Once again, we inform the 'certain disability organization' on behalf of Seoul Metro."
Park Kyung-seok, still holding the microphone, said "people ask why we come to the subway station. It's because a disabled person fell and died here in 2001. We come because we cannot remain silent about that death. Seoul City has never once apologized for the deaths of disabled individuals. Accessibility is a basic human right. We have witnessed the shameful reality: basic rights are still not guaranteed despite our repeated cries for 23 years. Are mobility, education, and employment not the foundations of a local community? Stop confining severely disabled individuals in facilities under the guise of protection. Uphold the values of the Constitution that prohibit discrimination based on disability."

A disabled activist winces as a Seoul Metro staff member attempts to cut the chains with a cutter. Photo by Kang Hye-min.

While speaking, director Park occasionally lowers the microphone onto his knee, gently touching his still reddened neck, then picks up the microphone again to continue speaking.
"We demand Mayor Oh Se-hoon stop his politics of division and hate. We will not give up. We will continue to fight. We will fight to ensure that we are not forgotten."
The activists responded, shouting "Tu-Jeng!"2) They held up a crumpled piece of paper, a black and white photo of the disability activists who occupied the Seoul Station train tracks 23 years ago. The colorful reality of today mirrors the black and white photo; the struggle continues.
2) "Tu-Jeng": A common South Korean rallying cry containing meanings of "struggle" and "solidarity".