Today marks the National Day of Persons with Disabilities.
While many events are being held across the country to mark the occasion,... there are calls for the need to raise the quality of life of the disabled.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
In Korea, an estimated 2-point-8 million people have some kind of disability according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Among them, one in two disabled people were aged 65 or older, while eight out of ten disabled people were found to be suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Despite their vulnerability to these illnesses, many disabled people's living conditions prevent them from taking care of their health by themselves.
According to data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the average monthly wage of the disabled was around 386 U.S. dollars. That's around just 30-percent of the earnings made by those receiving the minimum wage.
And one out of four disabled people were found to live alone.
Meanwhile, more than one-thousand cases of restriction and discrimination against the disabled are reported to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea each year... despite a 2008 law prohibiting such cases.
These cases range from limitations in accessing facilities or transportation, to mistreatment and not being able to receive proper information.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
