“Sign language is a language that has the same qualifications as the Korean language”
“If a sign language interpreter is placed, the pride of the farmers will increase.”
President Moon Jae-in held a New Year’s press conference in an on-off hybrid method at the Cheongwadae Chun-Chu Hall on the 18th, revealing his stance on political issues and the direction of this year’s government administration. Blue House Photo Reporters
No sign language interpreter was assigned to the press conference for President Moon Jae-in on the 18th. An official from the Blue House said, “We are not doing it alone, but we have been preparing by discussing with various broadcasters. Sign language interpretation was provided for each broadcast.” In fact, broadcasters that relayed the presidential press conference provided sign language interpretation. However, groups with disabilities who have consistently demanded the placement of sign language interpreters at presidential speeches and press conferences express regret. As the law regulates sign language as a language equivalent to Korean, their opinion is that the’sign language interpreter standing next to the president’ can symbolically show it. The Korean Sign Language Act, enacted in 2016, defines sign language as “the native language of the deaf with the same qualifications as the Korean language (Article 1).” The law states, “The state and local governments must support sign language interpretation for public events, judicial and administrative procedures, the use of public facilities, public broadcasting, and other cases deemed necessary for the public interest” (Article 16 (2)). It is prescribed. For the deaf (hearing impaired), spoken language is like a foreign language. Deaf people find it difficult to fully understand written language. The fact that sign language has the same qualifications as Korean language by law implies the spirit of ensuring that deaf people who suffer discrimination in their daily lives have the right to access information and embrace them as equal members of our society. However, contrary to the status guaranteed by the law, sign language interpreters were not assigned to the New Year’s press conference held for 123 minutes on this day. The same was true of the President’s New Year’s speech on the 11th and a special speech on the 3rd anniversary of inauguration last May. Human rights groups with disabilities have been asking for sign language interpreters to be assigned to presidential speeches and press conferences for years. ‘People who break down barriers to barriers’ held a press conference in front of the Blue House fountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th of last month, and submitted a request to the Blue House to ask for a sign language interpreter next to the president’s speech or press conference. did. “At the time of the special speech on the 3rd anniversary of the inauguration, deaf people could only watch broadcasters that provided sign language interpretation.” There was” he pointed out. Earlier in May last year, the group filed a complaint against the president of the presidential secretary to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
Citizens are watching President Moon Jae-in’s New Year’s address in the waiting room of Seoul Station in Bongnae-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 11th. Senior Reporter Lee Jong-geun [email protected]
The NHRCK rejected the complaint last month because five of the 12 broadcasters that simultaneously relayed the speech provided sign language interpretation, but even if major broadcasters relayed sign language interpretation, it is responsible for supporting sign language interpretation to the Blue House, which held a public event. I judged that there was. The Human Rights Commission expressed its opinion to the president’s secretary office, saying, “Please provide sign language interpretation when relaying major speeches of the Blue House or posting videos of speeches on the website.” The Blue House sign language interpretation is lagging behind other government departments. On December 2, 2019, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduced sign language interpretation for briefings for the first time among government ministries, and after that, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Ministry of Education and State Affairs Coordination Office also assigned sign language interpreters. Since February of last year, a sign language interpreter has been assigned to the Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters and the Corona 19 Briefing by the Central Accident Control Center to provide sign language interpretation in real time. According to data from the National Institute of the Korean Language, there were 777 cases where sign language interpretation was provided in the public sector last year, of which 640 were announcements related to Corona 19. The National Assembly also introduced sign language interpretation at press conferences in August last year. The change began late in our society, which did not provide sign language interpretation due to practical difficulties such as cost.
On September 10 last year, at the press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center, officials are installing splash barriers for sign language interpreters. Joint coverage photo
In many foreign countries, sign language interpreters are often assigned to official events of national leaders. In March 2019, New Zealand Prime Minister Jeshinda Aden brought a sign language interpreter to a press conference to condemn terrorism and explain the gun control bill. Regarding the New Year’s press conference, activist Kim Chul-hwan said, “It is a pity that the Blue House, which should be the best model in the public sector, does not accept the continued demands of the farmers. I hope that it will show the public that there is a presence and contribute to improving the awareness of the disabled.” Kim Hyung-bae, a curator at the Department of Language and Literature Studies at the National Institute of Korean Language, said, “At the end of last year, we discussed the provision of sign language interpretation with the Blue House administrator. It is surprising that sign language interpreters were not deployed at this press conference. “The government should provide sign language interpreters to guarantee the right to know of the deaf when making major policy announcements.” At a press conference for breaking down barriers on December 30 last year, “The President must first show that sign language is the language of the Republic of Korea. Man-ho Noh (59), a deaf, said, “It’s a New Year’s wish to have a sign language interpreter standing next to the President at a press conference.” By Kim Yoon-joo, staff reporter [email protected]
▶Shortcut: Human Rights Commission said to the Blue House, “In the presidential speech Provide sign language interpretation”
http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/974204.html
The following is the full text of New Year’s wishes published by Manho Noh at the time.