Jeon Gyeong-cheol, who was known as the "Peter Pan Dad" after raising his severely autistic son for 27 years, passed away on the 5th at the age of 64.

The deceased had single-handedly cared for his severely autistic son, whose mental age is at the level of a 2- or 3-year-old, for 27 years.

After being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in April of last year, he spent over a year visiting residential facilities and welfare organizations for people with disabilities across the country to find a place where his son could live after he was gone.

Having published a book about this journey, he also drew widespread social attention after being featured on an entertainment program.

The reality that parents, like the deceased, must worry about caring for their children until the very last moment of their lives is a common plight facing the majority of families with severe developmental disabilities.

In particular, for adults with severe autism, it is often reported that they are even denied access to existing welfare facilities due to the severity of their disabilities.

Online, voices are growing calling for improvements to the developmental disability care system, with critics pointing out that a society where parents must worry about their children until the moment they close their eyes is fundamentally wrong.

(Photo Source: Kakao Together Value Donation Page)