The ultimate aims of the present study are two-fold. The first is to suggest the direction to
ward the development of the special education in the Republic of Korea ROK). The second
is to present the tasks for theorizing “Korean Special Education.” The specific purpose of the
study to accomplish these aims was to explore and present the standards and directions of fut
ure revision of the Special Education Promotion Law (SEPL). Therefore, the study examined
the enaction and amendment processes of the SEPL, including the Presidential Decree and the
Enforcement Decree of the Minister of Education of Human Resources Development (MOE),
and analysed, compared, and discussed the key terms and articles of the SEPL enacted in 197
7 and amended in 1994. Specifically, the important terms used in SEPL were critically and th
oroughly analysed and compared, including “special education,” “therapeutic education,” “chil
dren with disabilities,” “special education institute,” “special class,” “integrated education,” an
d “itinerant education.” Also, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, PL 94-1
42, PL 101-476, PL 105-17) of the United States of America (USA) that had directly and indi
rectly influenced the 1994 amendments of the SEPL was briefly discussed, relating to the SE
PL. Through these analysis, comparison, interpretation, and discussion, the implications for th
e revision of the SEPL were drawn and the alternatives were suggested.