2023.08.28 15:01
In “I Didn’t Know It Would Hurt,” public-interest lawyer Kim Ye-won—who represents and stands in solidarity with people with disabilities and other marginalized crime victims—draws readers into the lived realities of prejudice, exclusion, and everyday violence. Writing from personal and professional experience (she is visually impaired herself), Kim illustrates how thoughtless words, looks, and actions can wound, and she challenges the tendency to label disabled people as “weak” rather than as full, distinct individuals deserving of dignity and equal treatment.

The book also examines how crises like the pandemic intensified isolation for people with mobility or immune vulnerabilities and exposed gaps in legal and social protections. Kim’s candid lectures and advocacy work underline the emotional and systemic toll of exclusion while arguing for a society that recognizes ordinary humanity and equal worth. Her account emphasizes that respecting people with disabilities requires structural support as well as a cultural shift in how we see and speak about difference.

Ultimately the book is a call to action: move beyond one-off sympathy to sustained change by becoming more conscious of language and everyday behavior. Kim urges readers to reflect on moments of complicity, replace derogatory expressions with respectful ones, and support continuous disability-rights education. Small, consistent practices—choosing words carefully, acknowledging vulnerability, and standing in solidarity—are presented as the practical starting points for long-term social transformation.

Original source: 무심코 사용하는 비하의 말을 존중의 말로 (Source: the news outlet; please refer to the original article.)