Assemblywoman Yang Hyang-ja: "Everyone Must Join Forces to Understand the Situation of Children in Difficulty"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), insisted that everyone must join forces to understand the actual conditions of children in difficulty.

At the Democratic Party of Korea Supreme Council meeting that day, Rep. Yang strongly stated, “Schools, community centers, social welfare officials, police, and everyone must work together to assess the situations of children in crisis, and the central government should be responsible for planning and securing funding for this.”

Rep. Yang said, “On the 15th, a fire broke out in a house where two elementary school children lived, and the 10-year-old and 8-year-old brothers were seriously injured,” adding, “The children sustained severe injuries, so the exact situation is unclear, but by combining media reports and testimonies from related parties, we can roughly infer the circumstances.”

She continued, “The brothers, who were alone at home, tried to cook ramen, which caused the fire. The children immediately called 119, but they could not accurately state their location and only repeatedly asked for help before the call was disconnected,” and said, “119 responded quickly and extinguished the fire in about 10 minutes, but the children were found unconscious.”

Furthermore, she said, “There are many testimonies that the brothers did not receive proper care at home,” and revealed, “The single mother was reportedly booked without detention on charges of neglect and abuse of the children.”

She added, “I deeply empathize with the hardship of the mother who had to raise her children alone at a young age,” but with tears in her eyes said, “However, the weight of life borne by those small children who had to endure hunger under such circumstances pains my heart even more.”

She emphasized, “While parental irresponsibility is a major factor, it is our society and the nation that failed to protect these children.”

Rep. Yang stated, “During the COVID-19 situation, so-called ordinary families have faced considerable difficulties in caring for their children, and families with many risk factors need not be mentioned. Whether for personal or economic reasons, the burden of childcare on families who usually bear heavy responsibilities has likely increased.”

She continued, “Children who are usually in vulnerable situations, those not using care classrooms, and those whose schooling has been suspended due to online education must have their situations urgently assessed,” and insisted, “All of our assembly members should take responsibility for their constituencies and look after and care for the children.”

Finally, she concluded her remarks by saying, “I hope the two brothers gather strength and overcome this pain.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.