"The Disability Identification Card Will Also be Written in English," Becoming Easy for the Disabled to Enjoy Better Accessibility Overseas.

- ACRC recommends issuing an English version of the disability ID card to easily prove that they are disabled in the other countries

- Also recommends to provide more overseas touristic information such as discounts for the disabled in major tourist destinations

(13, August. 2025, ACRC)

The disability ID card issued in Korea will be able to be accepted in other countries, making it more convenient to enjoy various benefits provided to the disabled at overseas travel destinations.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) prepared a "improvement measures for the convenient overseas use of the disabled ID card" and recommended it to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

There are many tourist destinations in the world that provide benefits such as admission fee discounts or free admission when the visitor’s disability is proved. Until now, in order to receive these benefits, it was necessary for disabled Koreans to obtain an additional English certificate before traveling abroad because the Disability ID Card is issued only in Korean hence cannot be accepted overseas. Moreover, the existing English certificate for the disabled has been issued only in a paper form and was easy to be damaged and inconvenient to carry.

The commission therefore recommended the Ministry of Health and Welfare to issue a disability ID card that has English information side-by-side to easily prove their disability in other countries, similar to the country’s English version of the driver's license.

Meanwhile, the ACRC also recommends the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform various benefits of the major overseas tourist destinations and their methods of use for the disabled through the Overseas Safe Travel website (0404.go.kr).

The recommendation is expected to address the inconveniences of the disabled and their caregivers as they had to search for other disabled travelers’ reviews or ask the embassy before traveling as proper, official information on major overseas tourist destinations or facilities that provide benefits was not provided.

Lee Soon Hee, Director for Social Institutional Improvement, said that the ACRC expects that the recommendation for the institutional improvement will enhance the accessibility of the disabled to travel abroad, adding the Commission will continue to examine whether there are any institutional deficiencies regarding the protection of the rights and interests of the socially underprivileged.