Korea strives to prevent undocumented births

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Newsis

A new policy aimed at protecting single mothers and their newborns is set to go into effect on Friday, as Korea takes steps to address the issue of “ghost babies,” or infants left without birth registration, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Thursday.

The primary goal of the two-point policy is to prevent new babies from remaining undocumented by operating an information-sharing system among all the institutions responsible for looking after them.

The policy requires hospitals and other medical institutions to report newborn babies to the state-run Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, which will then share the data promptly with local government officials. So far, only parents have been chiefly responsible for registering births, except in cases where exceptional circumstances apply.

If a parent fails to register the birth of their child within 30 days, they would be notified by officials to do so within the next seven days. If they still do not register the birth, the head of the local office in charge must seek a court approval to register the birth on their behalf.

This does not mean that parents are no longer responsible for registering their newborn babies. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to 50,000 won ($36).

“The introduction of the birth reporting system is the critical first step toward guaranteeing the rights of all children and making sure that they are registered and protected within the public system,” Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong 추천 said during a media conference at the Government Complex Seoul. “We will continue to improve the system so that all children can grow as healthy members of our society and live happy lives.”

The policy implementation was triggered after two unregistered babies were found dead in a refrigerator in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in June 2023. Investigators concluded that they were murdered by their mother in 2018 and 2019, respectively, apparently due to financial reasons.

Later, the Board of Audit and Inspection released a report in which it said 2,236 babies born in medical institutions between 2015 and 2022 remained unregistered. Soon, a public outcry ensued over the government’s lax system. The actual number is believed to be far higher when including those born outside hospitals or clinics.

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