Overcoming disability and leading the development of social welfare in Busan
A moving journey of life

This book is a record of one person looking back on his life at the age of 70.

The author lost his right arm in an accident while serving in the military, and has lived through countless obstacles and hardships since then.
But even in despair, he harbored dreams and held on to the meaning of life by building relationships with people.
In a time when even the foundation of social welfare policy was inadequate, he forged a bright path through the darkness as if walking a night road.

Every day as a public servant, the meaningful moments created in the welfare field, the stories of those who supported me through those moments, and even my resolutions and hopes for the rest of my life? All these memories are captured in this book.
The author's life journey, in which he, as a person with a disability, was sometimes hurt and faced limitations, yet never stopped, resonates deeply.

Now that I'm in my seventies, I look back on my childhood with my parents and siblings and have many regrets, but I console myself by saying that I was born into a good family.
Like all parents of our generation, they gave up their lives and everything for their children and gave them infinite love.
Growing up eating those nutrients is the greatest happiness.
I too was not born with free will.
However, despite the difficult circumstances of the time, they enjoyed the great benefit of being able to receive higher education.
--- From "I Miss My Parents"

The label of having a disabled right arm, which had been bothering me so much, was freed through this department.
I was able to develop a lot of skills during my five years working in this department.
From the first director, Director Ahn Jun-tae, and his successor, Director Baek Woon-hyun, I was able to acquire a methodology for diagnosing Busan's current issues from a broad perspective and devising response strategies.
I also had the opportunity to meet the late Manager Kwon Young, who worked like a bulldozer.
And my encounters with my direct supervisor and colleague, the wonderful Chief Kim Hyeong-yang, my friends who worked silently through the night and provided me with a strong support system, and Director Kim Young-o, who took charge of all the current issues in city administration and pushed for planning and execution, helped me develop the ability to view the current situation from a broader perspective.
After that, I was freed from the shackles of my disability and was able to gain diverse experiences by moving to various departments such as the Office of the Legal Affairs Officer, Social Welfare Department, Citizen Service Department, Welfare for the Disabled Department, Health Promotion Department, Innovation Evaluation Office, and Deputy Mayor of Seo-gu.
--- From "A Journey with the Stars"

For people with developmental disabilities or brain damage, not only dental treatment but also regular dental care education was important.
Dental care is expensive and often excluded from health insurance, so cost is also an important variable.
Furthermore, since it is a dental hospital exclusively for the disabled, it is natural that the disabled should use it first, but in line with the purpose of operation, priority should be given to people with developmental disabilities and brain damage who have difficulty taking care of their teeth.
Of course, there are people with disabilities such as severe disabilities, but these people do not seem to have any major problems if they use a nearby hospital.
However, since they offer good service at a low cost, patients with all types of disabilities will flock to them.

Naturally, we had no choice but to establish a system that could set priorities and support minimal operating costs.
The shortfall must be covered by the Busan city budget.
This also required persuading the budget department of the need for support and securing a budget.
As a person in charge, my power was absolutely lacking.
The manager personally stepped forward and persuaded the budget department, and although it was not abundant, he was able to secure a certain amount of budget.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I have done my best to provide meticulous attention to detail.
--- From "Establishment of a Dental Hospital for the Disabled"

While serving as the director of the Welfare Development Institute, he made efforts to improve the quality of policy research results, boost the morale of the organization's members, and reorganize the organization to adapt to changes.
This process brought about a huge change not only for me but also for everyone in the organization.
Despite the resistance, both big and small, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Park Seon-hee, Dr. Lee Jae-jung, Dr. Kim Du-rye, and Dr. Kim Jeong-geun, who passionately supported my management policy.
Although it was a short period of about two years, I feel rewarded that we have taken steps toward solving a long-standing problem.
--- From "University Professor and Welfare Policy Researcher"

The establishment of our country's welfare system for the disabled began largely with the efforts, cries, and contributions of parents.
This is especially true for systems for people with developmental disabilities.
Parents of children with developmental disabilities all want their children to live just one day longer than they do.
Due to the nature of their developmental disability, they are unable to control their anger and are subjected to violence from their children, but they live with this as a lifelong karma.
It's heartbreaking.
Now that we have secured housing for independent living, we need to sell the land in Yangsan owned by the corporation and use the proceeds to expand the multipurpose leisure and welfare system in the living city center where people live.
A multipurpose facility should house 4-5 people with severe developmental disabilities, providing 24-hour assistance, while also providing cultural and leisure experiences. A platform should be established to comprehensively support the upbringing and career paths of people with developmental disabilities.

--- From "Building the First Independent Housing Model for People with Developmental Disabilities"