What Do You Think About Sayuri's Question on 'Voluntary Single Motherhood'?

Sayuri, Who Voluntarily Became a Single Mother, Flooded with Congratulations
South Korea's Strict Requirements for 'Sperm Donation'... Practically Illegal
Some Criticize It as a 'Single-Parent' Family
Political Circles Discuss Legalizing 'Single Mother Pregnancy'

A photo revealed by broadcaster Sayuri in a KBS interview on the 16th. She is holding her son, who was born earlier this month. / Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] Broadcaster Sayuri (Fujita Sayuri) has attracted attention as she became a voluntary single mother using donated sperm. In Korea, Sayuri's case is outright illegal, and there are also emotional differences in views regarding pregnancy through sperm donation. Some hold negative views about so-called "forming a family without a father." There is criticism that choosing to be a "single mother" ultimately creates a single-parent family.

Considering the series of circumstances, Sayuri's choice serves as a kind of topic that makes our society think about how to perceive "single mothers" at least once.

◆ "I want to be a confident mother" Why did Sayuri decide to be a 'single mother'... Critical views on 'single-parent' families

On the 16th, Sayuri revealed the reason she became a single mother in an interview on KBS1's 'News 9.' She said, "At the obstetrics and gynecology clinic, I was told that 'natural pregnancy is difficult, and even if you do IVF right now, the success rate is not high,' and it felt like the world was collapsing." She explained that it was hard to rush into marriage with someone she did not love, which led her to decide to become pregnant while single.

She also explained that she received sperm donation in Japan because "in Korea, only married people can undergo IVF, and everything else is illegal." She added, "I hope the right to have a child is recognized." Regarding her decision to disclose this fact, she emphasized, "I wanted to be a confident mother to my child, not a lying mother."

However, some view Sayuri's attitude unfavorably. There is criticism that it is inappropriate since the child will inevitably grow up in a single-parent family. On the other hand, many voices support Sayuri's choice.

Kim, a company employee in her 30s, said, "Although pregnancy through sperm donation is possible, the child will inevitably be compared to other families," adding, "There will inevitably be various prejudices against Sayuri, who wants to be a confident mother."

Conversely, there are voices that respect and support Sayuri's choice. Park, a worker in her 40s, said, "Isn't life something each person lives their own way?" She emphasized, "In the end, no matter who chooses or judges what, it is not right to say anything from the side." She added, "Choosing to be a single mother and openly declaring it confidently is cool in my view."

Broadcaster Sayuri Fujita (Photo by Sayuri Instagram)

◆ Why she chose Japan, not Korea... Strict eligibility requirements in Korea, practically illegal

Meanwhile, attention is also focused on the background that made it inevitable for her to become a single mother in Japan rather than Korea.

In Korea, it is illegal for a "single mother" to have a child using donated sperm from a man. After the "Hwang Woo-suk incident" at the end of 2005, the risks of egg retrieval became a social issue, and related regulations were strengthened. For a woman to receive sperm donation for pregnancy, legal consent from her husband is mandatory. Even in this case, it is limited to situations where the legally married husband has azoospermia or a serious genetic disease.

In other countries, no special qualifications are required. In some European countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, sperm donation to unmarried women is permitted. Japan operates both nonprofit and for-profit sperm banks and provides sperm to single women and same-sex couples.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Will sperm donation for 'single mothers' be legalized in Korea?

Meanwhile, the political circle has shown interest by sending congratulatory messages regarding Sayuri, who became pregnant through sperm donation. There is also a view that if she were a Korean woman rather than a Japanese woman, pregnancy through sperm donation would have been difficult. Relatedly, there are active political movements around "single mothers," including calls to legalize single motherhood based on Sayuri's case.

On the 17th, Jung Hae-jae, Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at the National Assembly floor meeting, "Sayuri gave birth through sperm donation. She became a voluntary single mother," adding, "We all need to work together to make the Republic of Korea, where the child will grow up, a more open society."

Bae Bok-joo, Vice Chair of the Justice Party, posted on her SNS that day, "What if Sayuri were a Korean woman?" She emphasized, "It is important for everyone to think about what to choose and decide and to select the best way for themselves regarding their own body."

She continued, "Korea is a country where infertility support or sperm donation is not allowed without marriage. Korea is a country where unwanted pregnancies cannot be terminated. Korea is a country where proper information and education about contraception are not provided. Korea is a country where there were young girls who used shoe insoles because they could not afford sanitary pads. Korea is a country where only women who enter the system can receive legal support for pregnancy and childbirth."

In this regard, Kang Min-jin, Chairperson of the Youth Justice Party Preparatory Committee, proposed in a statement that day, "Let's revise the outdated bioethics law."

Kang Min-jin said, "It contains a mistaken perception that only childbirth within marriage is normal and does not recognize women's right to self-determination," adding, "Currently, government infertility support is also provided only to legally married couples. Supporting only legally married couples means discriminating between births supported by the state and those not supported." She emphasized, "Support for infertility should be based on women's will and reproductive rights regardless of marital status, not on legal couples."

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