Students pose during their survival swimming session at the National Youth Center of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of National Youth Center of Korea
Jeong Cheol-sang
Children with disabilities have as much right to learn to swim and enjoy the water as anyone else, and the government has a duty to make that possible, said Jeong Cheol-sang, director of the National Youth Center of Korea.
“Survival swimming is not an optional physical activity but safety education to protect life,” Jeong said in a written interview with The Korea Times. “All young people have the right to receive safety education, regardless of disability, and public institutions have a responsibility to ensure that right is realized.”
On June 26, 78 students from Cheonan Inae School, a public special school in Cheonan for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities, visited the center, operated by the state-run Korea Youth Work Agency. The students learned how to put on life jackets, float to stay alive and signal for help, gaining hands-on experience in core survival skills.
