InfoAnda - Disabled South Koreans protest inhumane benefits system |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Syrian forces prevent refugees fleeing to Turkey | | 20 June 2011
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary | 27 May 2010
J.K. Rowling adult novel to be adapted for BBC One | | 4 December 2012

Monsters sets standard for guerrilla filmmaking | | 20 September 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Disabled South Koreans protest inhumane benefits system |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Aerospace & Defense Investing Simplified Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Campaign Polling Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus Nicholas Wapshott Bethany McLean Anatole Kaletsky Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Reihan Salam Frederick Kempe Christopher Papagianis Mark Leonard Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice Download our Wider Image iPad app Images of September Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Divorce in two countries is double the trouble 24 Oct 2012 White House told of militant claim two hours after Libya attack: emails 23 Oct 2012 Obama tackles rape comments, "fiscal cliff" on TV talk show 24 Oct 2012 UPDATE 4-U.S. sues Bank of America over 'Hustle' mortgage fraud 24 Oct 2012 U.S. sues Bank of America over "Hustle" mortgage fraud 24 Oct 2012 Discussed 511 White House told of militant claim two hours after Libya attack: emails 149 After final debate, Obama says election comes down to trust 119 Obama talks Libya and Biden’s swimsuit on ”Daily Show” Sponsored Links Disabled South Koreans protest "inhumane" benefits system Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Venice winner "Pieta" director a soft-spoken "monster" Tue, Oct 23 2012 North Korea threatens South over propaganda balloons Fri, Oct 19 2012 U.S., South Korea agree on longer range ballistic missiles Sun, Oct 7 2012 South Korea aims to bring calm at bridge over troubled water Wed, Oct 3 2012 Related Topics World » Investing Simplified » By Ju-min Park and Jane Chung SEOUL | Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:18pm EDT SEOUL (Reuters) - Wheelchair-bound Choi Jong-hun spends most Fridays in a makeshift tent encampment in one of Seoul's busy subway stations, eating instant noodles as commuters dodge and weave around him and a handful of fellow demonstrators. He's part of a protest that has lasted more than 60 days and aims to change South Korea's benefits system, which campaigners say humiliates disabled people by "grading" them according to their disability. While South Korea has made the leap from poverty to rich nation in a generation, its conservative culture, which prizes physical perfection, still largely fails to come to grips with the challenges of disability. Choi and other campaigners say the government's assessment system, which determines the access to crucial basic pensions worth up to $100 a month, as well as awarding support services such as home help, is degrading and inhumane. "How dare (the government) label us like meat?" demanded Choi, a 48-year-old former construction worker who had a stroke in 2002 that left him partly paralyzed. "No senior citizens or women are graded when the country provides welfare services. It's only the disabled," echoes one of the group's brochures. Things are tough for the handicapped in other ways as well. They may be neglected by family members, who don't understand what state services may be available, while opportunities for self-support and mainstream jobs are also limited. For example, visually handicapped people can't take the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) exam - required by South Korean companies on job applications - more than four times total, while ordinary people are allowed to take it 14 times a year, said Moon Jae-in, a liberal presidential candidate from the major opposition party. As a result, the poverty rate for the disabled in South Korea- who make up around five percent of the 50 million population - is more than twice that of other rich nations, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. "The classification system for the disabled ignores their dignity," Moon said. In Choi's case, the assessment of his medical needs - including language problems as a result of his stroke - has been set as a "level 2" disability, which means he is not entitled to help with his laundry and cooking. That forces him to live with another disabled person who has the highest level of incapacity classification, entitling him to a carer to help with daily tasks for free. "The problem is that the criteria to classify disabilities and the demand for social services from disabled people does not match," said Jeong Jong-hwa, a social welfare professor at Sahmyook University in Seoul. In particular, the strictly medical assessment system has problems since it fails to take into account the different nuances of disabilities, resulting in potential unfairness. An official at South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, which administers the benefits, says that it is aware of some of the issues and is studying the problem, although it may be moving too slowly for the country's human rights body, which is considering asking parliament to revise the system. The official declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to media. Until any revision takes place, however, protests may be the only way to go. In the early 2000s, a number of disabled people shackled themselves to subway tracks to demand improved access to public transport, resulting in elevators in some stations. "Passers-by sometimes say "why don't you have talks (with the government)?" said 38-year old Kim Jin-woo, who has muscular dystrophy and is taking part in the protests. "But they have no idea. There's no other way to make this change." (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jane Chung; Editing by David Chance and Elaine Lies) World Investing Simplified Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Thursday, 25 October 2012
Syria government indicates accepts holiday truce: Russia |
Syria may exploit instability in Lebanon: Clinton |
Mali war plan to be ready within weeks: AU |
Ecuador fears for Assange's health, seeks UK safe passage |
Berlusconi confirms will not run in 2013 Italy election |
Crew of Argentine ship seized in Ghana fly home |
Apple's stock chart loses some sheen before results |
Symantec beats Street view as new CEO begins turnaround |
Zynga's revenue rises, beats Street; shares climb |
Chipmaker LSI's revenue forecast below estimates |
Tom Cruise files $50 million lawsuit over claims he abandoned Suri |
Jason Aldean takes Billboard No. 1, Swift's Red storming |
Rare James Bond posters hitting auction block in LA |
Ghost Exchange film questions runaway stock market technology |
Liz Taylor tops list of highest earning dead celebrities |
Fighting erupts near Damascus ahead of truce deadline |
Egypt brokers informal Israel/Gaza truce: Israeli official |
Insight: Hungary's far-right party gains as it targets Roma |
North Korea new leader still a mystery after nearly a year: Pentagon |
After decades behind bamboo curtain, Laos to join WTO |
Disabled South Koreans protest inhumane benefits system |
African Union reinstates Mali ahead of military action |
Syria government indicates accepts holiday truce: Russia |
Apple's Mac flies in under the radar |
Sprint unveils new data plans for 4G LTE tablets |
Tech focus now on Microsoft Windows 8, Surface tablet |
TSMC sees six months of weaker sales after record Q3 profit |
U.S. ITC judge says Samsung infringed Apple patents |
Obama tackles rape comments, fiscal cliff on TV talk show |
Ex-Britney Spears confidante sobs over death threats |
Fighting rages in Syria before Brahimi's truce |
Libyan suspect in U.S. envoy attack killed in Cairo |
WikiLeaks says releases hacked U.S. detainee rules |
Insight: Bomb blast brings Lebanon's party capital to juddering halt |
Man in Afghan uniform kills two U.S. servicemen: NATO |
Lawyer for China's deposed Bo unsure if he can take case |
Tymoshenko urges Ukrainians to reject Yanukovich at election |
South Africa union agrees gold mine pay deal as most strikers return |
UK Savile police staggered at extent of inquiry |
Georgian tycoon Ivanishvili confirmed as prime minister |
Microsoft set to unveil Windows 8, Surface tablet |
Windows 8 recasts PC industry: CEO Ballmer |
Exclusive: Huawei partner offered U.S. tech to Iran |
Analysts see recovery sprouting at FarmVille creator Zynga |
China's ZTE slumps to quarterly loss, margins bleed |
Rolling Stones surprise Paris with $20 gig |
Obama tackles rape comments, fiscal cliff on TV talk show |
1960s music hero Riley: The pendulum will swing |
Beethoven discovery gets first performance in UK |
China's Ai Weiwei bemoans block on his Gangnam parody |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01