Gyeonggi Province Offers “VIP Treatment” to the Physically Challenged at Arts Performances

Gyeonggi Province has designated the so-called “Royal Box”, the best seats at concerts halls and stadiums, as “Seating for the Physically Challenged” to improve the experience of physically challenged concert and stadium-goers.

Traditionally, the seats designated for the physically challenged have been located at the back rows of most concert halls, theaters, and stadiums, making easy access difficult. In addition, the distance of the seats from the stage prevented physically challenged audience members from fully enjoying the performances.

In order to resolve these difficulties and enable the physically challenged to easily enjoy cultural experiences, the province passed the Act for the Designation, Installation, and Operation of Seating for the Physically Challenged at Gyeonggi Public Facilities in 2005. The Act mandates that all concert halls or theaters must install prime seating for the physically challenged at the center of the seating area. The province has allocated a budget of KRW 1,612 million to support public organizations, cities, and counties of the province in the installation of special seating for the physically challenged.

Since the enactment of the new law, a total of 959 seats for the physically challenged have been installed at 61 facilities in the province, including the Gyeonggi Culture & Art Center and the Gyeonggi Korean Traditional Music Center. In order to facilitate the comfort and movement of the physically challenged, seats for accompanying persons were installed next to the priority seats. Paths and lifts for the physically challenged were also installed, to guarantee convenience for physically challenged audience members when visiting theaters or concert halls. These actions aim to ensure that the physically challenged have an equal opportunity to experience a rich cultural life.

The province will continuously monitor the installation of the seats for the physically challenged at newly established cultural facilities. In addition, under the Disability Discrimination Act that came into effect on April 11, 2008, the province will introduce a range of welfare policies to provide equal opportunities to the physically challenged in every area.