Discrimination against people affected by leprosy

(Hansen’s Disease) in Korea

SANG KWON JUNG, IDEA KOREA

STATE OF HANSEN’S DISEASE (HD) IN KOREA

HISTORY OF HD IN KOREA

WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HELP

THE STATE OF HD IN KOREA

Medical Aspect

12 New patients (Jan 2008~present) the disease itself does not pose a contagious risk

Economic Aspect

People once affected by Hansen’s Diseases are achieving economic independence through farming activities

Social Aspect

Discrimination from society is continuing

According to the 2005 report titled ‘The Report of the state of Human Rights of people affected by Hansen’s Disease’, it is evident that prejudice exists

“Would you use facilities such as public bath houses and hairdressers if they were also used by people affected by Hansen’s Disease?”

19.6%: I would use it

50.8%: I wouldn’t want to use it very much

28.1%: I would never use it

“If a family member were to marry a person affected by HD, what would you do?”

7.1%: I would accept them

86.7%: I would disagree with it

6.2%: I don’t know / No response

THE HISTORY OF HD IN KOREA

The Forced Isolation Era (1913~1963)

1392~1897

Discrimination against people with HD has been recorded since the Joeson Dynasty

1910~1945

During the Japanese occupation of Korea, medical reasons were used to spread institutional discrimination and exclusion nationwide

The Forced Isolation Era (1913~1963)

1913~

Forced isolation was initiated, but the goal of isolation was not for medical treatment but to limit infection

Patients did not receive appropriate treatment and were forced into labor, and the mortality of patients was very high as a result

The Forced Isolation Era (1913~1963)

In addition, social prejudice about the disease became more widespread and gained legitimacy through medical authorities

It can be reasoned that these policies were substantial in influencing the mass murder of HD patients throughout Korea by civilians in the 1950s

MASS MURDER OF HD PATIENTS

Between 1945 and 1957, over 300 HD patients were murdered by hospital workers, police, army and civilians over 11 incidents

•Aug, 1945

•Sorok Island Hospital Incident

•Workers of the hospital feared losing control to HD patients, and 84 patients were murdered as a result

The Memorial Monument for 84 people who were murdered

at Sorok Island

•June, 1947

•An-dong Child Abduction Suspect Incident

•3 HD patients suspected of abducting a child were murdered by police officers without due process

•Sep, 1949

•Mu-an Incident

•While attempting to quell violence after a prison escape, 40 people affected by HD living nearby were murdered

•1950~1953

•Incidents during the Korean War

•The South and North Korean army, police, and due to communism, around 150 HD patients were murdered over 7 incidents

•Aug, 1957

•Sa-chon Bi-to-ri Incident

•To preserve food supplies, residents of an island ambushed and attacked HD patients living on the island, resulting in 30 deaths and tens of injured

Relative Isolation Era (1963-present)

Enactment of resettlement village policies

Korea abolished forced isolation policies, and made it possible for people affected by HD to become economically independent in resettlement villages, called the ‘Resettlement Village Policy’

Relative Isolation Era (1963-present)

It is recognized that HD is not highly contagious but the isolation policy was also a product of the fact that the Korean Government did not have resources to accommodate people in appropriate facilities

Relative Isolation Era (1963-present)

Also, it was hoped that if they achieved economic independence, prejudice about them would decrease, so they achieved economic independence through farming activities

Relative Isolation Era (1963-present)

However, the socially embedded prejudice and discrimination against people affected by HD continued to persist

As a result, resettlement villages constructed after the abolishment of forced isolation policies had the effect of limiting true social reintegration

DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO HD IN KOREA

Institutional Discrimination

Sterilization and Abortion

Sterilization and abortion practices from the Japanese occupation which persisted after liberation

According to an annual report by the Sorok Island Hospital in 1958, 1,191 HD patients received sterilization procedures from 1949 to 1958

The sterilization operation room at Sorok Island

Institutional Discrimination

Forced separation of children from HD patients

Even if HD patients were able to have a child, they were not allowed to live together and had to be sent to a state institution

Children separated from their parents

Institutional Discrimination

Forced Isolation and Relocation

The policy of forcibly placing HD patients in isolation was carried over from the Japanese occupation, and even after liberation, was continued by the Korean government until the 1980s

Institutional Discrimination

Forced isolation and forced relocation

Despite the rehabilitation village system being established in 1963, the national policy was to force people affected by HD into Sorok Island

The policy remained in effect until 2005

Discrimination in the Media

There have been public messages spreading prejudice and fear about HD from the beginning of the Japanese occupation

This continued even after liberation, and because of this people affected by HD face prejudice on a regular basis

Discrimination in the Media

Such messages portrayed the HD community to be a dangerous threat to society and favored forced isolation of HD patients

In the 1990s, a rumor placed the responsibility of kidnappings in the city of Daegu on people affected by HD, causing great harm to the people affected by HD in the community

Discrimination from Society

Discrimination in the school system

There have been incidents across South Korea where parents have refused to have their children attend schools with children of people affected by HD during the 1970s

Discrimination from Society

Discrimination in hiring practices

If a candidate is known to have HD, it becomes extremely difficult to obtain the position

Discrimination from Society

O-mado land reclamation incident

A land reclamation project was started, to enable people affected by HD to have self sufficient food supplies, but because of protest and action from local residents and politicians, the land from the project was expropriated

O-mado land reclamation projectO-mado land reclamation project

Discrimination from Society

Difficulties using public facilities

Many people affected by HD have the experience of being refused entry into public bath houses, hairdressers, and restaurants

EFFORTS TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION

Change of Terminology

There has been a continuing effort to alter the terminology, and in December 1999, at a general meeting of the Korean National Assembly, a matter was passed to use the term ‘Hansen’s Disease’ instead of the term ‘leprosy’

Change of Terminology

After this, there was an effort to monitor the abasement or the use of false information regarding people affected by HD

Investigation of the human rights of people affected by HD

National-level investigation of the human rights violation of people affected by HD for the first time in 2005

Establishment of the special law for HD patients

In 2007, a special law protecting the human rights of HD patients was passed through the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Coming out

People affected by HD who were active in society began to express their experience of having the disease

An example is Mr. Doo Sung Lim who received recognition for services to improving the human rights of people affected by HD in 2008 and was elected as an assembly man of the Republick of Korea

CONCLUSION

As a result, there is a need to develop tools to uproot the prejudice and discrimination against people affected by HD

There are continuing efforts to develop an array of such tools in Korea to change social perceptions

The medical and institutional issues around HD have been largely resolved

The prejudice and discrimination in common society is deeply rooted

Because of this, the true social reintegration of people affected by HD is still far off

End