[Hold on] Lawyer Kim Yong-jik of the Autistic Love Association, "I didn't close my heart by myself..."

■ Broadcast: YTN Radio FM 94.5 (20:20-21:00)
■ Date: November 17, 2024 (Sunday)
■ Proceedings: Professor Lee Seong-gyu
■ Dialogue: Chairman of the Korea Autistic Love Association Kim Yong-jik

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.

◆ Professor Lee Seong-gyu (hereinafter referred to as Lee Seong-gyu): One in every 100 babies born in the world is born with autism, and about three in every 100 babies in Korea show autism symptoms. How can I put my parents' feelings into words when my child, who I thought was just a delayed child, is ruled autistic? Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma. Hold on. <There's no one like this.> Today, autistic families who have no choice but to walk through a long tunnel have invited a person who is not lonely and silently struggling. His nickname is 'Godfather of the Self-inflicted Family'. Let's talk with Chairman Kim Yong-jik, who has been a lawyer and leads the Korean Autistic Love Association for nearly 20 years. Hello?

◇ Chairman of the Korea Autistic Love Association, Kim Yong-jik (hereinafter referred to as Kim Yong-jik): Yes, hello.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Autistic Love Association. What kind of organization is this?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Aren't autistic disabled people very difficult to express their opinions on their own? So you can't do your own right manuscript, but there hasn't been such an organization in the meantime. So, it was created by the consensus to create such an organization for the first time more than 20 years ago. It's the only recognized organization that can speak for autistic disabled people and their families.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: I remember it as the 26th of last month. You did "2024 Autism Race" with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It was successful, right?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Thanks to you, it was very successful. The weather was nice, too.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Autism race. How was it done?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: It's not easy for our friends to do physical education. I just started running, but I wanted to provide an opportunity to run with my family. And isn't this a disorder that can be cured quickly with surgery or medicine, so isn't it a disorder that needs to be dealt with in the long term? So it goes very well with the marathon. That's why I started this event five years ago. I made it because I thought it would be a day where we could improve our awareness and enjoy it together.

◆ From where to where did you jump?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: In the park, mostly our friends walked or ran 4.2km because April 2nd was 'World Autism Day.' For ordinary enthusiasts, I did a short marathon and did 10km.

◆ This is the fifth time this year.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: It's the fifth time, but at first, the 1st to 3rd events happened to be during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was a virtual competition. Last year, we ran face-to-face together offline for the first time. So it was actually the second biggest event.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: During COVID-19, your family had a hard time, right?

◇ [Kim Yong-jik] Of course. It's even harder.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: You can't go out and take care of everything at home.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: In those days, we were an IT powerhouse, so the virtual competition went smoothly. Now that it's time to face each other, we're having such an event.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: I think interest in autistic people has increased a lot. How is this autism and developmental disability different?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: There was once a time when we called autism a developmentally disabled person. Legally, developmental disability is a middle category, and if it is sub-categorized there, two disorders are included as developmental disabilities: intellectual disability and autism.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: How many people with developmental disabilities are there in Korea?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: It is known that there are about 300,000 people with developmental disabilities. About 30,000 of them are autistic people. But there are people who are not registered properly, so I think it'll be about 40,000 won. That's what I'm estimating.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. But while talking about the Autism race, you said it's an Autism race instead of an Autism race. But I heard that the chairman prefers the word 'autism' to the word autistic disabled.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Isn't the word autism itself a self-disclosure? But the truth is that autistic people with disabilities are not shutting themselves down, and we can't approach them. That's what I'm thinking. Don't we even say "autistic society" when we're stuck with something and it doesn't work out? So, I tend to use it as the worst word, so it has a stigma effect, so I was thinking that I should change the term for autism. However, Otism is an "autistic disorder" in English, but Otism can be less recognized, so if you think about etymology, there may be a similar context.Ma has become globalized, so wouldn't it be possible to reduce such a stigma effect directly as an autistic disorder? That's what I did with this expectation. But now, with scholars, there is an autism society to find the right term. Let's find out the terminology there. But it's been a few years, but the right one isn't coming out well.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: There are movies and dramas about Otism, and among them, there is a movie called "Marathon" starring Cho Seung-woo, and the drama can be called "Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo." Do you think that those characteristics in Woo Young-woo and others, in general, agree with the Autism family?

◇ [Kim Yong-jik] So, although he did express the characteristics of autism disorder a little well. The average autistic person can't become a lawyer or be very good at special things or be connected like that. Most of them are a little difficult. So, the rate of extraordinary ability among the general public and the rate of special growth among the autistic disabled are almost the same. In fact, autistic disorders do not necessarily mean that everyone is good at them, and there are not many people who are good at them. So even autistic disabled people can practice law. That's because it's borderline or it's possible for very special good friends. So people with very severe autism are another relative deprivation, or something like that. However, I think the movie drama itself helped improve the perception that it is an autism disorder. Similarly, in the marathon, autistic disorders were not widely known at the time, and it became widely known, and that led to the creation of our love association. That's what happened.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: The Love Association was established in 2006, right?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Yes. So, there was a boom in marathon movies, so people like that gathered together and that happened in 2005. We prepared and founded it in January 2006, and it took another year to approve it from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I got it at the end of 2006.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: That's right. There's a reason why you were interested in autistic disorder and autism, right? It's something you always say, but please say it again.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: I didn't know it was an autistic disorder either. About 40 years ago, I met my son and found out he had an autism disorder and that's what got me involved. Autistic disorders were not well known in our country at the time, but anyway, I learned from books and stuff at that time, and I couldn't help but pay attention to it because it was a really difficult disability.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. My eldest son was born in 1982.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Yes.

◆ How old are you then?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: He's over 40 years old now.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So, as you said more than 40 years ago, we didn't know much about autism. The first time I said, 'Oh, my son is autistic. You're autistic. ’ When you know this. Was that when you were a judge?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: That was when I was a military judicial officer. My wife is a doctor. I think it's going to be a little late. Adults also said, 'I can grow up well. ’ They said things like that.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: If it's delayed, it's better.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: So that's what I thought, but I think it's an autism disorder a lot. With my wife. So at that time, we also watched with pediatric psychiatrists from abroad, and they said they didn't know yet, so on one side, 'It's really late, but it could work out better. ’ With this hope, I thought, 'No, I really don't think this is going to be right. ’ I thought about this and that just crossed my mind. But by the age of nearly a year, we see it as a good word no matter who says it, and we almost solidify our thoughts as autistic disorders. That's how I thought I should respond to that.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. Did your job as a judge help you create a love association and do your job before that?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: But a judge is not a job that can be actively done with society, so that can't be helpful in itself. But when I accidentally studied, I met priests related to social welfare. When I was at the training center, I became a director of a social welfare corporation. So I was very interested in this area, but I didn't think my son would do this himself. But that's what happened, so I hoped for a miracle, so I had a lot of things to go to Kkotdongne. And I met experts and went through that process.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: And the Development Disability Act was enacted in 2014. You played the role of the chairman a lot, right?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Isn't there some awareness that after I created the Love Association, I need to fix the laws and systems to benefit from them all in general? But just in time, I graduated from the administrative examination, so our classmates had a lot of lawmakers, a lot of people from the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and President Moon Jae In was all in the same class. Back then, I was a councillor. But before that, I thought a lot about what to do by making a law, so from then on, we gathered experts and drafted each expert in our office. So I met countless lawmakers. I think I met about 70 to 80 people. But I've been doing that for years, and I've met with officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and you've helped me. But I think it took about 10 years. But after going through those things, the scale and the centrality. So there were times when I gave up, and each party's presidential or general election pledges made me to enact the People with Developmental Disabilities Act, but it was still difficult. But I think it took nearly 10 years. So I tried to do it steadily and make it again, and it was made in a very hurry, but there were many twists and turns.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: That's right. Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma. Hold on. <There's no one like this.> Today, we are talking with Kim Yong-jik, president of the Korean Autistic Love Association, who is striving to improve the quality of life for the developmentally disabled. What song would you recommend?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: 'You are a person born to be loved.' I will request that song thinking about our friends.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Yes. You listened to Choi Seung-won's "You Are Born to Be Beloved" recommended by Kim Yong-jik, president of the Autistic Love Association. Lee Sung Kyu's happy comma. Hold on. <There's no one like this.> Today, we are with Chairman Kim Yong-jik, a lawyer and leader of the Korea Autistic Love Association. But what was it like when you were almost certain that your son had these symptoms?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: It's kind of amazing. So I'm sure there are people in Korea who are worried about this. So I searched for those people, lawyer Hwang In-cheol, who died, and the doctor who died a few days ago. You were all gathering and doing something. But at that time, there was no early class to cope with. So let's translate what we're in a foreign country and do it ourselves. I also opened an early class on my own, so I set up another parents' association for autistic children.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: Was the reason you took off your judge's uniform part of doing that and that?

◇ [Kim Yong-jik] There's no such thing as a very sublime thing. In the beginning, I did it anonymously because judges are always that socially, but that's a job that can't be revealed. Then, when I was a senior judge, I was just a person who thought a lot at first that I would go from bill to bill. It's just that it's worth more. I don't think we're progressing too much if we just help them. So at first, shouldn't we make some facilities for our children? I came out with this idea, but if I do it for the whole thing, it automatically improves, so I thought I should do it. I think the most difficult disability to be self-reliant is autism. They talk a lot. We autistic people with severe cerebral palsy and people with disabilities want to die a day later than the child because it is essential to care for him. ’ Don't you say that a lot? So that's not the case with a general disability, but it's also because it's a particularly difficult disability.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: So now, generally living as an autistic family, employment issues. Employment is a field that is really deeply related to self-reliance. How do you think we should solve this problem?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: I also think that working properly rather than just supporting people with severe disabilities relieves stress and costs less. As you know, isn't work a right and an obligation under the constitution? So, it's that important, but it's too difficult to work or hire people with autism, especially those with severe autism. So I don't think about our general employment, but I think we should still give them the right time to work. But everyone is talking about the importance of employment, but should I say that the Employment Corporation for the Disabled just does numbers easily? There are a lot of things like that, so you have to focus on the seriousness. Those mild people can be hired again due to the change in the system. But I think I need to make that effort for people who are really not employed, but I think that's a little lacking. Now, disabled artists are hired by companies such as art and music. It doesn't matter if you go to work, but there are a lot of abnormalities while staying at home, so I think we can't give all of the minimum wage to a protected workplace where we hire even a little, but shouldn't we encourage employment in a way that preserves even a part of it? That way, I think it can relieve stress and rather reduce the so-called challenge behavior. So I think the employment issue is the most important anyway. After graduating from school, I hope you will focus more on a job that is suitable for each person at a certain level, not the eight hours that non-disabled people generally think of, but two hours for some friends and an hour for others. at a public performance corporation or government I have a lot of thoughts like that.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: I hope we can make a living ground that includes labor like this so that we can stay there, work, and go out a little bit. We need a lot of assistants. As a father, I heard your thoughts while living like this. Did you have three children with your wife? the other two brothers If we move on to this area, I think we need to add another social role.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: There are other disabilities, but especially autistic disabilities, family support is very necessary. It's going to take all the time there. And after hearing what I said, I also reflect on myself because the other two children thought they would do well on their own, and we had no choice but to be less interested. Now that I think about it, I'm sorry. But if you look at it now, wouldn't those friends have learned to live with severely disabled people through what we do? I think it's a relief, but as you said, I couldn't pay more attention to my non-disabled family and friends. I think it's very wrong. Even if you have a family with severe disabilities, shouldn't you pay attention to the rest of your family? That's what I think. It's a part of me reflecting on myself.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: But now it's done as a member of the family, and I think there should be a sense of social proximity.

◇ [Kim Yong-jik] So even when we do camp, we always do programs for our brothers and sisters. They are also under different kinds of stress. I think I need to touch that.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: In this regard, there is a 'trust decision support center'. What's this?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: It's not easy for brothers to help them after their parents' death. Didn't the brothers even make the Adult Guardianship Act, as you know, because they couldn't take care of it properly? But that didn't solve everything. So, other than the basic services provided by the state or local governments, the budget cannot be completed, so it is too difficult for parents to just hand over the property they have left for their sick fingers. Because the person concerned can't do it himself. I'm trying to do it through an adult guardian, but even an adult guardian can't guarantee that, right? So, the trust can only be used for a specific purpose, so if the parents who provided the money or those who set the purpose, it has an effect that cannot be used elsewhere. So the trust is not well known in Korea, but we know the concept of the trust because we are legal professionals, so we have conducted a pilot project for it since about 10 years. This is what happens through trust.

◆ Didn't the book come out?

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Yes. There's something like that, too. So I use those things to manage my finances through trusts. Another big thing is that parents can do a certain amount of wealth for our disabled people is called the Special Grant Trust for the Disabled. That now requires a separate law. able to regulate it in various ways So it's not normal to make another law like that. With that as the final goal, aren't there some people with developmental disabilities who are now making some money? We're piloting a trust project that can manage it. The National Assembly also said let's raise that first, so I think it's going to be increased a little this time. So we're going to practice with that and try to use parents' money to improve the service a little more for the people concerned through the special demand trust for the disabled.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: I hope it goes well and successfully. This year is almost over. Please wrap it up by telling us your plans for next year.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Yes. Everything is, but it is so important to be properly mediated early that there is a program called CST developed by the WHO that trains parents and caregivers to educate our friends appropriately. So I'll expand it further and do the trust-related legislation you mentioned earlier. I am a Catholic.Ma intends to do his best to be used as a tool as Saint Francis said.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: <There's no one like this.> I was with Kim Yong-jik, chairman of the Korean Autistic Love Association, who is leading the way for autistic people. Thank you for the nice words.

◇ Kim Yong-jik: Thank you.

◆ Lee Seong-gyu: <There's no one like this.>You can listen to it again through the YTN radio website and YouTube.