Massage Santa Barbara

Did you know that in Korea, only the blind can become licensed massage therapists? Yes, blind people have a constitutional monopoly on the massage industry there and have for nearly a century. Amazing, huh? Why?  Read more here.

The law allowing only the blind to be masseurs, dates back to the Japanese colonization of 1912. It has stayed in place because of the limited government aid for the handicapped. Giving the blind this monopoly is a way to ensure them a livelihood.

Spas and salons however have found a "loophole", so to speak. Apparently, it's legal to offer "sports massage" given by sighted massage therapists. Reacting to protest by these sighted "sports massage" therapists, the Constitutional Court ruled in 2006, that the law was unconstitutional, because it "infringed on the basic rights for individuals to choose their profession." This ruling in turn, ignited strong protests by the blind, who claimed that massage is their only viable means of living. Four blind massage therapists jumped off the Mapo Bridge in Seoul and three others committed suicide.

In an article from the International Herald Tribune, the court is quoted:

"Given the insufficient welfare polices for the visually impaired, massage can be the only choice for them. Allowing the non-blind to get the masseur license can be a threat to their survival and the law aims to protect the socially weak," the court said in the ruling.

And Secretary-General Lee Gyu-seong, who is blind, is quoted as saying:

"The government is on the right path regarding the socially weak,"

In an article in The Korea Times, Kim Tae-jong informs us that the court is taking steps or at least encouraging lawmakers to take steps to solve this controversy by improving welfare policies.

But the court advised lawmakers to prepare for advanced welfare policies for the blind.

Right now there are 250,000 visually impaired people in Korea. According to the Korea Masseur Association, 13,000 of them are engaged in the massage business. To protect these therapists, for the time being, practicing without a license is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 10 million won ($7,900).

Read the original articles here:

• SKorean court rules in favor of blind masseurs - International Herald Tribune
• Visually Impaired Can Monoplize Massage Service