South Korean court says only blind can be masseurs - Update

South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled yesterday that only the visually impaired can be licensed masseurs in the country, upholding a law set up a century ago despite arguments it infringed on free employment rights.

The law was established in 1912 when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule to help guarantee the blind a livelihood, according the to the Korean Association of Masseurs, which now has about 7,100 visually impaired people as members.

"The regulation is meant to provide visually impaired people with an opportunity to have a personally rewarding occupation, and assure that they have means to earn a living; thus, the purpose of the legislation is well justified," the court said in its decision.



Welfare experts in the country have said the law helps the blind make a living by carving out a niche but it adds to discrimination in the workplace because it makes employers in other fields less likely to hire the visually impaired.

The group of visually impaired masseurs has led protests over the court case, with three blind masseurs committing suicide since 2006.

"The court decision is not only a verdict on our right to live but also a measure of South Korea's conscientiousness," said Lee Gyu-seong from the association. Unlicensed masseurs can face fines ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars and even a short stint in prison.