▶ Interview
Attorney Jae Wang Kim
(Clinical Associate Professor, SNU Public Interest and Legal Clinic Center)
Attorney Kim is known to be the first lawyer among the visually impaired in South Korea. As Clinical Associate Professor and attorney at the Public Interest and Legal Clinic Center, he, whose visual impairment was acquired, not innate, has strived to reduce the discrimination and injustice that the physically challenged experience in their daily lives by monitoring the lives of others more earnestly or desperately than anyone else.
Attorney Kim has led a dramatic life at every turn. Although he was born as a non-disabled person, he began losing his sight at the age of 25 and finally became visually
impaired. Initially majoring in biology, he changed his career path to law school. After completing his degree program under more difficult conditions than others by using
auditory information instead of visual one, he passed the bar exam in 2012. Additionally, he engaged in various activities, including legislative activities for the human
rights of the physically and mentally challenged and lawsuits for their discrimination relief, which have garnered public attention. Furthermore, he teaches students with
pending cases as a Clinical Associate Professor and attorney at the Public Interest and Legal Clinic Center.
“Many people wonder how I had spent the time after becoming visually impaired. However, I have nothing special to say about that. Rather than overcoming the frustration, it
would be more accurate to say that I have adapted to my situation due to no alternatives. This attitude has never changed since I attended law school and became devoted to
human rights for the physically and mentally challenged. Genuine efforts at each turn have opened doors to new opportunities, leading me to here and now.”
Attorney Kim told the stories of his past life with a gentle tone and a faint smile as if they were trivial. However, his achievements so far are crowning. His numerous winning
cases, including a discrimination lawsuit related to restrictions on boarding for the visually impaired at an amusement park, a compensation suit for damages by a visually
impaired person who fell on the railroad near a platform due to missing screen doors, and a lawsuit by an auditorily impaired person who was asked questions about their
disability unrelated to their job during a public official interview, have brought back the rights and interests of people with disabilities, and further shifted social
awareness by gaining public attention, in addition to the change in related laws and regulations.
The world Attorney Kim needed to confront after becoming visually impaired was utterly different from the one he lived as a non-disabled person.
“I needed to confront the inconvenience of all activities in my daily life. However, the biggest inconvenience I feel as a visually impaired person is the difficulty in
accessing information. Most information tends to be visually conveyed. A significant portion of websites is images. This is true for applications on smartphones. Accessibility
to websites has been improved due to the enactment of related laws. However, accessibility to cellphone applications is to be enhanced because of the lack of related laws and
regulations. Moreover, inconvenience experienced by the physically and mentally challenged is prevalent in every part of mundane life, including mobility and kiosks that are
difficult for people in wheelchairs to use.”
The time he spent helping the physically and mentally challenged and fighting discrimination allowed him to ponder the “coexistence” of different beings.
“Coexistence with others may have the effect of decelerating the overall pace of life. The emphasis of capitalism on efficiency and speed, by its nature, may be cumbersome. The
lives of marginalized in society, such as the disabled, the elderly, children, and women in pregnancy or childbirth, are at a relatively slower pace. “Would not this society
become less tiring if we lower our speed and care about others to embrace those hard to keep pace?”
Life as a visually impaired person is arduous. Inconvenience and discrimination are still present, whereas change in perception is stagnant. However, Attorney Kim is a person
who can unravel the hope hidden behind the scenes. He has demonstrated that “discomfort is not impossibility” before his family and acquaintances, who have supported and
encouraged him through various systems that provided him with opportunities as a stepping stone in unseen places. Attorney Kim plans to continue his engagement in various
activities related to the human rights of the physically and mentally challenged. Additionally, he is committed to working as a professor to offer the best teaching to his
students. He sets an excellent example of coexistence with others by walking along with others at a slightly slower pace.
