Oh Eun-young hopes to promote harmony, awareness of disabilities

Oh Eun-young, a prominent South Korean child psychiatrist, is set to host an upcoming talk concert through which she hopes to raise awareness for people with disabilities and promote respect and understanding for them.

"What is most needed in families who have someone who is disabled is attention and hope. I promised to create content involving people with disabilities early last year, and this talk concert marks the beginning of that commitment," she said during a press conference, Thursday.

Titled “Companion,” the talk concert will be joined by the Gaon Soloists, an ensemble that has both musicians with and without disabilities. The ensemble, founded in 2021, has 15 members, including eight musicians with developmental disabilities and two with visual impairments, in addition to career musicians.

"Just as harmony is essential for reducing conflicts between men and women, and among generations, our lives also require harmony. I believe this concert conveys this message not only to children with disabilities and their families, but also to our society as a whole," she said.

“Harmony in music involves listening to and adapting to others' performances, but disabilities pose challenges in interpersonal interactions, making this aspect particularly challenging. Therefore, the symbolic significance of these individuals harmonizing is profound,” Oh noted.

Oh, with more than 30 years of experience as a child psychiatrist, said it was difficult to get parents to understand disabilities at the beginning of her career. Things have now started to change, but there is still a long way to go, according to Oh.

“These days, parents have a heightened awareness of developmental disorders and invest a lot of effort into raising their children as integral members of society, even when facing developmental challenges. I have contemplated on how to actively contribute and support these efforts,” Oh explained.

The talk concert, which falls under Hyosung Group’s Culture Series 8, will take place at the Mapo Art Center in Seoul on Feb. 3.