Disabled advocacy group chief gets suspended jail term for organizing protests

A Seoul court handed down a suspended prison sentence to the head of a disabled advocacy group Tuesday for organizing bus protests aimed at demanding better mobility rights for the disabled.

Park Kyoung-seok, head of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD), was indicted on charges of disrupting bus operations during rush hour in Seoul in last April to call for the improvement of disability rights.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Park to four months in prison, suspended for two years.

The court said in its ruling that the protests caused delays in bus services, causing major discomfort to many citizens, and that the group has since staged similar protests at subway stations to delay metro service.

The court, however, said Park staged such acts not just for personal benefits and that he has made efforts to improve the rights of the disabled. (Yonhap)