The COVID-19 and Human Rights of persons with disabilities in Korea

 We Research Institute of the Differently Abled Person’s Right in Korea(RIDRIK) express our deep sorrow and mourning for many deaths caused by the worldwide spread of the COVID-19. Especially concerning about the safety of the persons with disabilities facing greater risks and difficulties, we express the following opinions on human rights issues for the persons with disabilities in Korea caused by the COVID-19. 

 First, although the Korean government’s rapid and effective response has become a good example globally, it was not disability-inclusive. And persons with disabilities in Korea were more isolated and discriminated. We could not find any disability-inclusive perspectives on the ‘INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ACT’ and the action plan of the government. Also, there was no provision concerning disability in response to infectious diseases.

 Secondly, the closed wards of psychiatric hospitals were the beginning of the tragedy occurred in Korea and caused the biggest disaster. Early in the spread of the COVID-19, in Daenam Hospital, a psychiatric hospital located in Chengdo, southeastern area Korea, all 103 inpatients in the closed ward were infected with COVID-19, and 8 of them died. Korea’s first death of COVID-19 has been hospitalized in the Daenam Hospital for over 20 years and his weight was only 42kg because of severe nutritional deficiency. 6 to 8 inpatients were living on the floor without beds in a small room and all the windows were covered with gratings. There were not enough medical staffs, no environment for proper treatment, no humanitarian care. Moreover, management for the safety of non-infected people were insufficient until the virus spread to all inpatients.