Seoul Expands Public Jobs for People with Disabilities to 5,712; Seoul Metropolitan Government Shares One-Year Results

[Financial News]  Seoul Metropolitan Government said that, one year after launching the '2530 Daily Vitality Project for Persons with Disabilities,' it had added 595 public-sector jobs for people with disabilities and identified 428 jobs tailored to different disability types. It also expanded policies supporting the daily lives and independence of people with disabilities, covering jobs, housing and care, mobility, and accessibility. The measures included customized home-repair assistance for a cumulative 1,989 households and the addition of 679 low-floor buses. Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that it would hold an expo on disability policy, with about 2,000 people taking part, including people with disabilities, related organizations and support agencies, and citizens. The event will showcase the key achievements of the '2530 Daily Vitality Project for Persons with Disabilities' over the past year through 38 policy booths across four major areas and share future tasks.
By category, public-sector jobs for people with disabilities increased from 5,117 last year to 5,712 this year, an increase of 595 jobs, or 11.6%. This year, 428 specialized jobs tailored to different disability types were also identified to provide work experience based on the characteristics of each disability and individual capabilities. Of these, 342 participants, or 79.9%, have severe or the most severe disabilities.
The specialized jobs focus on duties that can lead to private-sector employment, including office assistance, manufacturing, logistics, and data management. This year’s offerings also included 108 jobs in culture and the arts for people with the most severe disabilities. From 2024 through this year, at least 58 participants in the specialized-job program went on to find employment at private companies.
Support for housing and mobility was also expanded. Customized home repairs, designed with consideration for disability types and behavioral patterns, have supported a cumulative 1,989 households, while 679 additional low-floor buses were introduced. Everyday accessibility ramps were installed at 890 locations to improve mobility for people with disabilities. Eoullim Plaza, a combined welfare and cultural complex, also opened.
The expo will feature 38 policy booths in total: 24 on jobs and income, nine on housing and care, two on mobility and accessibility, and three on human rights and leisure. It will also operate a special experience center for universal design (UD) taxis and assistive devices, as well as experience zones for visual and hearing disabilities. A market selling products made by people with disabilities will also be held.
A talk concert will also be held where people with disabilities and their family members share their experiences with relevant policies. Participants will include people involved in the specialized-job program, professional activity support workers, families of people with developmental disabilities, families of supportive-housing residents, and wheelchair-using creators. They will discuss their experiences and suggest areas for improvement concerning jobs, care, housing, mobility, and accessibility.
Professor Cheon Keun-ah of Yonsei University College of Medicine, an expert in developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders among infants and young children, will deliver a lecture titled 'The Importance of Early Intervention for Developmental Disabilities.' The program will also include a special lecture to raise awareness of disabilities, performances by artists with disabilities, and an exhibition of artworks by people with severe disabilities.
Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to reflect the opinions of people with disabilities, their families, and officials working in the field, gathered at the event, in future disability policies. In particular, it will strengthen connections so that work experience gained through specialized jobs can lead to private-sector employment and will expand the range of job choices available to people with disabilities.

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter