Accidents, celebrities, the economics—our newspaper columns are filled with an overwhelming amount of data that allows us to communicate and exchange information. There are, however, over two million people, comprising five percent of South Korea’s population, omitted from this group—the disabled. Often the outcasts of our society, they have long had no voice due to their physical or mental limitations. Lee Aeri, a journalist from the Cowalknews, speaks out for the disabled and works to regain a voice for the neglected.
Cowalknews—a name probably unknown to most people, has been the voice of people who have often been disregarded by society over the past decades. Cowalknews speaks out for the disabled, and its articles deal with subjects related to the disabled, something rarely found in Korean newspapers nowadays. Cowalknews’ first publication can be dated back to 1987, and this February it released its 300th issue. Lee Aeri works as a senior editor in the company, and as the senior editor of the press, Lee not only plans and edits the magazine, but also writes articles herself.
Before working in Cowalknews, Lee did not have any particular interest in the disabled. In fact, it was her fervor for movies and writing that led her to walk the path of becoming a movie journalist. As much as Lee enjoyed working as a movie journalist, she still felt a sense of emptiness. “I wanted to find meaning in my writing, and my personal hope was to help the neglected classes of people in society through my articles. As a journalist, I could not just chase after my own personal ambitions. I needed to work with a sense of duty and devotion,” said Lee. As Lee searched for these areas that were neglected by society, she found Cowalknews.
When Lee started working in Cowalknews three years ago, she was driven by ambition to speak out for the outcasts of society. Despite her drive and passion, Lee soon realized that a much heavier burden lay on her compared with other ordinary journalists. The biggest problem lies in the limited subjects regarding the topic. Cowalknews gathers information provided by reports from various citizens, but this information can be very limited sometimes.
Furthermore, as a spokesperson for the disabled, Lee first needs to understand their life before she can write a sincere article. In order to communicate, however, it is essential to form a relationship with the interviewees. This problem worsens when it comes to interviewing the mentally disabled. “Like any ordinary person, the mentally disabled instinctively know when someone approaches them with a purpose. It is crucial to approach them with respect for their personal qualities,” said Lee. It is common for Lee to take at least half a day before she can build trust between her and the interviewee.
Communicating with the disabled is not the only problem that exists while working as a journalist. One of the most troubling facts is that Lee cannot solve the problems in society. “I often write about rape and sexual assaults of disabled women. What is most appalling is that such atrocious events repeat, and there is nothing that I can do about it,” said Lee.
The role of the reporters often stops at spreading information about an existing problem. What comes next entirely depends on how the public and the community react. The frequent tragedies that repeated without any clear resolution made Lee experience failure. All these frustrations and failures piled up and resulted in depression and insomnia. “I even considered quitting this job. It was especially difficult for me to write about a woman like myself and have nothing that I could do to change the frustrating reality,” said Lee.
Although reality heaped a heavy burden on Lee, it could not stop her from speaking out for the people that she fought for. While other newspapers as well as the rest of the media mainly deal with the superficial aspects of the disabled, Lee wanted to go beyond. “Most of the media only deal with a topic such as murder or sexual harassment that can create a sensation and get the public’s attention,” said Lee. These sensational reports often disappear after a while. Lee, however, tries to keeping tracking the problems and topics even after months.
During her ceaseless attempts to trace existing troublesome issues, she also faced moments that lightened her days. Those times have enabled Lee to carry on with her job. One time, Lee brought back two female siblings who had run away from home. She not only listened to their stories, but also tried her best to resolve the problems that existed within the family. Although there are more ordeals that lie ahead in her job, these small incidents allow Lee to carry on.
Lee has faith that her job carries a heavy responsibility and incomparable value. “I hope that people can realize that disability is not a story about someone else. We are all exposed to danger, and if we cannot respect minority groups as part of our society, we cannot expect human rights for ourselves, either,” said Lee. Lee hopes to act as a bridge to connect separated communities and bring them together into one unit.