Kang Sun-woo, who was clarifying allegations of relocation for school enrollment, became emotional while mentioning his ‘child with developmental disabilities.’

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Developmental Disabilities Minister Candidate Kang Sun-woo Clarifies Allegations of False Registration

On the 14th, Kang Sun-woo, the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, provided a clear explanation regarding the allegations of false registration during the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee confirmation hearing.

Kang denied the allegations, stating "that is not true," and became emotional while explaining the situation of their child with developmental disabilities.

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In response to the allegations of false registration raised by Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Seung-ah, Kang explained, "Our family is not in a typical situation," adding, "We have a child who lives in the world more slowly than others."

He emphasized that the special familial circumstances surrounding their child with developmental disabilities were the background to the allegations of false registration.

Kang mentioned that after the 21st National Assembly elections, he moved to his constituency of Gangseo-gap but maintained his previous residence in Gwanghwamun for the sake of his child with developmental disabilities. He explained, "Moving from Gwanghwamun to Gangseo would have been too harsh for our child," and added, "We kept our home in Gwanghwamun so that our child could remain in a familiar environment."

Family's Special Circumstances and Living Arrangement

Kang provided a detailed explanation of the family's actual living situation.

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"Our child spent some days of the week in Gwanghwamun and some days in Gangseo," he said, noting, "When our child moved back and forth, my spouse and my mother were also involved."

He explained that while their official resident registration address was in Gangseo, they actually resided in both locations.

Kang specifically stated, "I hardly went to Gwanghwamun," saying, "There was a misunderstanding because the actual residence and the registered address were reported differently during the process of submitting the address."

In response, lawmaker Baek expressed understanding, saying, "It seems to be a misunderstanding arising from caring for a child with developmental disabilities," and added, "It is natural to feel a deep sense of guilt, affection, and gratitude towards one's child."

During discussions about issues concerning people with developmental disabilities, Kang became emotional and paused multiple times.

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Regarding the submission of a resolution on the calamity of people with developmental disabilities, he stated, "The number of parents who have killed their children with developmental disabilities has exceeded thirty cases in the last five years," emphasizing that "Caring for a child with developmental disabilities is far rougher and more painful than one might imagine."

He noted, "Care should be the responsibility of the state, and for the state to take that responsibility, it must understand how these individuals live," highlighting the importance of the resolution.

This resolution includes provisions for a national care responsibility system and a survey of the situation, and it achieved success by being adopted as originally submitted with the joint sponsorship of 198 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

Image source: Kang Sun-woo, Candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family / News1, News1

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