Republic of Korea (the)

Government responses

Mainstreaming of disability inclusion, participation, and partnerships

• [19 April 2020] The 21st Disability Policy Coordination Committee has finalized the 2020 Disability Policy Implementation Plan. The government has been making active efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities would not be marginalized in response to COVID-19.

Continued access to goods and services

• [16 March 2020] In Seoul, visiting care services would be offered to older persons and persons with disabilities whose care services have been suspended due to the spread of COVID-19.
• [9 April 2020] The Ministry of Education and local governments have been required to ensure that students with disabilities would not be marginalized during online schooling.
• [22 April 2020] The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Daegu Preview Service Center have been providing emergency care services for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities so that the care services would not be interrupted due to the pandemic.
• [22 April 2020] The Daegu City Social Service Center has established an emergency care delivery system. It has recruited 180 people to provide 24-hour care for children, older persons and persons with disabilities living alone due to family infection or self-isolation.
• [13 October 2020] Persons with disabilities have been permitted to delegate their family members to buy masks.
• [13 October 2020] A special online education platform has been established to provide customized online classes for students with disabilities, in addition to support measures such as home-visit classes, learning packets, and special educational tools and materials.

Accessible public information

• [1 September 2020] The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has held press briefings with a sign-language interpreter. Three major TV networks (KBS, MBC and SBS) have started or would start sign language interpretation services on their main news programmes.

Medical and quarantine policies and processes

• [16 March 2020] Seoul has been providing emergency support for older persons and persons with disabilities in cases where they need self-isolation, but there is no care provider. Older persons and persons with disabilities could enter a quarantine facility designated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to receive care services.
• [12 March 2021] Teachers in special schools for children with disabilities would be prioritized for the vaccination.

Social protection and employment support

• [31 March 2020] The Ministry of Health and Welfare has provided consumption coupons for 2.3 million low-income households, including families receiving a disability pension.
• [4 May 2020] Around 21.71 million households would receive emergency disaster relief payments through a universal programme worth 14.3 trillion won ($11.66 billion). Around 2.8 million vulnerable families, such as beneficiaries of national basic livelihood security and disability pensions, would receive the funds first.

Institutions and facilities 

• [22 April 2020] The Daegu City Social Service Center has put human resources into social welfare facilities that have been in danger of stopping services due to the infection of workers.
• [26 April 2020] Disinfection procedures have been strengthened in social welfare facilities.
• [26 April 2020] To reduce the risk of COVID-19 for older persons and persons with disabilities, social welfare facilities have implemented measures recommended by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.
• [21 March 2021] Those working or living in facilities for older persons and persons with disabilities would be prioritized in early phases of the vaccine roll-out.

Last modified: 6 May 2021