58. Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Welfare also stated that, at the end of December
2016, 30,980 persons with disabilities were residing in 1,505 residential facilities for persons with
disabilities located nationwide. On a different note, the Moon Jae-in Administration has included
“out of a facility, resettle into a local community” as one of the 100-Point National Policy Agenda.
List of possible inquiries for consideration
59. Provide detailed information on the government’s plans to resolve the issue of personal
assistants’ avoidance of assignment to persons with severe disabilities and women with
disabilities raising an infant, and the issue of difference in amount of activity assistance support
per district. Consider that a revision of the AAASPD, which includes an acknowledgement of
activity assistance from family members or adoption of graded fee system to provide incentives
to activity assistant assigned to persons with severe disabilities, may resolve the issues raised.
60. Specify available countermeasures for situations of emergency during night time, such
as an occurrence of fire or health emergency, for persons with disability who could only avail
activity support service less than 24 hours per day.
61. Provide detailed plans of the government to support persons with disability to live
independently with consideration to discharge persons living in residential facilities for the
disabled, to ensure the right to live in the community, and to promote complete reintegration
and participation in the community.
Article 21- Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information
Current status
62. Enacted in 2016, the Korean Sign Language Act recognized the Korean sign language as
the official language of the persons with hearing impairment of the Republic of Korea9. The
Braille Act, also enacted in 2016, declared Braille as an official written script with same level
of recognition with the Hangul10, alphabetic unique letters to the Republic of Korea used for
9
Article 2 (Basic Idea) (1) Korean sign language is the official language of the deaf of the Republic of Korea.
10
Article 4 (legal status of Braille and nondiscrimination) (1) Braille is one of the official language of the
Republic of Korea with same level of recognition with the Hangul. (2) The government organizations shall not
discriminate the use of Braille in all executive, judicial, administrative, social and cultural context.
17