2018.03.30 05:20 
Kim Ye-won, a 36-year-old lawyer and the first recipient of the Gwak Jeong-sook Human Rights Award, runs the Disability Rights Law Center in Korea and dedicates her practice to clients who cannot afford legal representation. Honored in the name of a late disability rights activist, Kim says the award both humbles and motivates her to continue strengthening legal protection for people with disabilities.

Her involvement began by chance while working at the Dongcheon Foundation in 2012 and deepened after handling high-profile cases, including prosecuting embezzlement of disabled residents’ benefits and securing a Supreme Court ruling that recognized a damaged prosthetic as a work-related injury. In January last year she launched the one-person Disability Rights Law Center to provide legal aid to unrepresented disabled people, children with disabilities, women, and people with mental disabilities, and to push for systemic change through research and education.

Kim highlights urgent needs beyond litigation: rescuing abused disabled people and ensuring post-rescue support, identifying and aiding vulnerable disabled children, advancing deinstitutionalization, and making civic participation accessible. She argues for pragmatic reforms—such as including candidate photos and party logos on ballots, as in Taiwan—so people who cannot read can still vote independently. Above all, she believes change comes from awareness and familiarity, and sees measurable progress as society grows more accustomed to the presence and rights of people with disabilities.

Original source: “글 몰라도 찍게…투표 용지에 그림 넣어주세요” – 머니투데이 (Source: the news outlet; please refer to the original article.)