Disabled individuals in the province expressed anger at the low human rights sensitivity of the officials in charge of disability policies in Jeonbuk Province.

In particular, instead of addressing the demands of the "Jeonbuk Disabled Shelter" (hereinafter referred to as the "Shelter") to improve the poor working conditions that even violate labor standards, there were outrageous incidents that belittled disabled individuals.

On the 28th, around 80 members of the Disability Rights Alliance, Jeonbuk Our Local Community Support Center, Saebit Independent Living Support Center, and Gunsan Seum Independent Living Support Center held a rally at the lobby of the 1st floor of Jeonbuk Provincial Office from 11 a.m., demanding "compliance with labor standards" and "punishment for officials who belittle disabled individuals."

According to the alliance, on the 9th, the head of the Disability Welfare Policy and B Disability Rights Team at Jeonbuk Province visited the Shelter, which is operated with subsidies from Jeonbuk Provincial Office. Employees at the Shelter, who are disabled individuals themselves, mentioned operational difficulties, stating that among the residents with disabilities, some were unable to bathe or take care of personal hygiene.

In response, the team leader B asked, "Why did you accept severely disabled individuals?" and made remarks like, "If there are no residents, it seems like you won't get paid?" Neglecting the basic fact that severely disabled individuals who have difficulty expressing their own will are prone to becoming victims of abuse, the team leader dismissed the poor working conditions that even fail to comply with labor standards as operational mistakes.

Especially on the 12th, the team leader B continued to make disparaging remarks towards disabled staff at the Shelter during a meeting to address inappropriate conversations, saying, "There is a staff member who is physically uncomfortable, shouldn't we avoid hiring disabled individuals?" showing a severely outdated sense of human rights.

The "Shelter" in Jeonbuk is a legal facility established according to the Disability Welfare Act. It provides temporary residence and necessary services for individuals who have suffered violence or abuse to move away from the place where the abuse occurred and settle in a new living space for independent living until they can live independently (up to 1 year).

Since July 2021, the Jeonbuk Shelter has been operated with subsidies from Jeonbuk Provincial Office. This year's confirmed subsidy is 316 million won. The capacity is for 5 individuals regardless of gender, and since its opening, a total of 38 victims have passed through the Shelter to return to their original homes or live independently in the local community.

As of the 28th, there are a total of 5 staff members, including the director and two male and two female living support workers. Finally moving on December 17, 2025, the residents now reside in strictly segregated spaces for men and women, with two same-gender staff members responsible for each group working 24 hours a day without a day off. The current residents include 1 male and 2 females. Although it is stipulated that male and female living support workers should work during the night, due to a lack of staff, currently only one living support worker is present, making it difficult to handle unexpected situations. The strict separation of male and female dormitories and limited access of living support workers to spaces of residents of the opposite gender further complicates the situation, making it challenging to respond effectively in case of emergencies.

The staff at the Jeonbuk Shelter are also in a blind spot regarding labor standards. Living support workers do not receive holiday pay, night shift allowances, or overtime pay, and they are not guaranteed the 40 hours of overtime pay for living support workers in residential facilities as stipulated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. For the staff at the Jeonbuk Shelter, this is a matter of "unspoken understanding."

To improve such poor working conditions, the Disability Rights Alliance, the entrusted organization for the Shelter, requested Jeonbuk Province to increase the number of living support workers to allow for shift work and to increase subsidies to make allowances a reality, at least to comply with labor standards. However, during this process, there were anti-human rights remarks made by the team leader.

After the rally, the disabled individuals demanded that Governor Kim Gwan-young comply with labor standards, replace the head of the Disability Welfare Department, and punish the team leader who belittled disabled individuals.

Around 2 p.m., Bang Sang-yoon, the head of the Jeonbuk Province Welfare Women's Department, visited the rally site, acknowledged the wrongdoing of Team Leader B, and apologized. He then partially implemented unrecognized bonuses and allowances for living support workers and promised efforts to increase staff through the second half budget, bringing the rally to a close.

As the resolution of this incident ended in mere "reconciliation," the future attitude of Jeonbuk Province is being closely watched. Jeonbuk Province must abandon the outdated notion of viewing disability policies as a form of charity. Disability policy is not about sympathy or charity but a duty of the state to realize the dignity and fairness of all individuals in society.

Shelter director Lee Hee-deok stated, "Support from Jeonbuk Province for the Shelter is gradually improving, but under the compliance of labor standards set by law, we will strive to operate a better Shelter in partnership with Jeonbuk Province, aiming for Jeonbuk to become a city of human rights, not a lower-tier city among shelters nationwide."