February 26, 2005 ㅡ The recently released movie "Running Boy (Marathon)", about the trials and triumphs of an autistic person training to compete in a marathon, has revived interest in the problems of the disabled.
A mere three weeks after its release, the movie has drawn more than 3.2 million viewers.
Currently, about 7,600 autistic persons in South Korea are registered with the Health and Welfare Ministry, with 6,270 of them being males. But experts say the actual number of people suffering from the disability ranges from 30,000 to 40,000. If one were to include those with relatively mild symptoms, the number could exceed 100,000.
Many families with autistic offspring do not register with the government because of the social stigma that comes from being labeled "autistic", while some do not know they need to register in order to receive any welfare benefits.
It was only in 2000 that people with autism were formally categorized as "disabled", allowing them to receive welf...|
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