2018.11.21 19:45
Kim Ye-won is a South Korean public-interest lawyer who devotes her long, demanding days to representing people with disabilities. A medical accident left her blind in one eye at birth, which helped inspire her decision to become a lawyer to speak for socially vulnerable people who often lack knowledge or resources to challenge injustice. She founded the Disability Rights Law Center after working at public institutions and has handled over a thousand cases while balancing family life, even bringing her infant to court when childcare options were unavailable.
Her work goes beyond individual litigation: she combines client representation with research, education, and systemic advocacy to close legal blind spots. Kim drafts manuals, publishes studies on disability-rights advocacy, and pushes for law reform when existing statutes fail to address emerging harms — for example, ensuring that victims with disabilities are properly identified so crimes such as sexual assault are charged with appropriate severity, and calling attention to “grooming” and other abuses that remain inadequately covered by current law.
Faith and vocation intersect in her practice. A lifelong Christian, Kim sees her legal work as an expression of lay ministry and the church’s historical role as a movement of the laity reclaiming rights and duties. Confronting abusive practices within religious institutions tested her resolve, but it also reinforced her commitment to pursue justice professionally and spiritually — a mission recognized by awards and public recognition as she continues to push for both individual relief and systemic change.
Original source: “‘가짜 인권’은 없다, ‘가짜 사람’이 없듯이” (Source: the news outlet; please refer to the original article.)
