Do Jong-hwan has said that the South Korean Government will look to increase the number of sporting facilities accessible to disabled people ©Getty Images

South Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has said today on the eve of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games that the Government will look to increase the number of sporting facilities which are accessible to disabled people.

Do Jong-hwan was speaking at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympics International Conference on Disability Rights in Sokcho.

"We plan to use KRW14.9 billion (£10 million/$13.9 million/€11.2 million) this year to refurbish existing sporting facilities, so that people with impairments can also use them," he was reported as saying by South Korea’s news agency Yonhap.

"Even if we completed nine new sporting facilities for the disabled, we only have 11 in the country.

"I hope we can have a society where there's at least one sporting facility for the disabled in each village."

According to Do, the Government also intends to create more "barrier-free" recreational facilities that are accessible to the disabled.

"We will secure budget for the disabled and will prepare sports trainers for the disabled, which should number at least 1,000," he said.

"We are working hard to have a society in which able and disabled people can play together and live equally."

The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games are due to begin tomorrow ©Getty Images
The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games are due to begin tomorrow ©Getty Images

Earlier this week, the South Korean Government confirmed its intention to steadily phase out the country's controversial grade system for disabled people.

Yonhap reports that a decision has been taken to start the process of removing the existing system in the second half of next year.

It follows a meeting of a Committee under Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon’s office.

The Government currently classifies disabled people into six classes in accordance with their level of incapacity and medical status.

The assessment system determines monthly basic pension and other types of support, but has been criticised by the public for being "degrading and inhumane" for disabled people.

It has also been condemned on the basis that medically assessing a person does not often consider the subtle variances of each person's disability.

As part of the new plans, the Government will adopt a regime that can better measure the incapacity of each individual whilst it will also conduct a nationwide review to more accurately determine each person's medical and financial status.

The Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympics is due to take place tomorrow at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium.