hankyoreh

A woman with disabilities cries holding a portrait of Woo Dong-min, human rights activist for people with disabilities, who died two days ago on first floor lobby of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) on Jan. 4.

Woo, who had the first-class disability of brain lesions, died of acute pneumonia Sunday that he caught while participating in a sit-in demonstration for increasing support for people with disabilities and calling for the resignation of NHRCK Chairperson Hyun Byung-chul at the NHRCK headquarters. An activist who participated in the demonstration with Woo said that some 30 activists with disabilities had to endure cold nights without any heat because the electricity supply in the NHRCK offices was cut off after midnight.

Woo was called, “Rain or shine Dong-min,” as he usually appeared at the protest site even after hospitalization due to high fevers.

Woo, however, was unable to attend the protest later because his symptoms changed from a cold to pneumonia five days before he died.

Woo wrote in his memoirs last June:

“I have a dream that I escape from a prison inside my mind like Andy of The Shawshank Redemption.”

(Photo by Kim Myoung-jin, Story by Son Jun-hyun)