Late Legislative Action by Ruling and Opposition Parties on the 'Jeongin Case' Sparks Public Outrage... Concerns Over Hasty Review

- Ruling and opposition parties agree to pass Jeong-in Protection Act during temporary National Assembly
- About 90 child abuse-related bills pending in relevant standing committees
- Temporary National Assembly ends on 8th... two days for review period

[Asia Economy reporters Son Seon-hee and Kang Na-hum] The tragic death of 'Jeong-in,' who died at just 16 months old due to abuse by her adoptive parents, has sparked outrage on the Blue House's national petition website. The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to pass the so-called 'Jeong-in Prevention Act' during the current extraordinary session of the National Assembly, but with the session ending soon, there are concerns about a rushed review.

According to the Blue House national petition website, as of 10 a.m. on the 6th, about 240,000 people had agreed to a petition titled "We demand the dismissal of the Yangcheon Police Chief and the officers responsible for neglecting child abuse." The petition, posted just two days ago on the 4th, has already far exceeded the 200,000-signature threshold required for an official response.

The petitioner stated, "Despite receiving multiple reports of child abuse, they ignored and neglected the situation. They disregarded numerous pieces of evidence submitted by mandatory reporters and the strong investigation requests from pediatric specialists. We want to hold them accountable and strongly demand their dismissal."

In connection with this, another petition raised in November last year, when the case became public, has also gathered 231,440 signatures and is awaiting a response. This petition calls for the public disclosure of the abuser couple's identities and demands that they be prosecuted under murder charges rather than child abuse resulting in death, seeking severe punishment.

Baek Hye-ryun, the Democratic Party whip of the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, is answering reporters' questions after the bill review subcommittee was adjourned at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

As public sentiment surged, the ruling and opposition parties hurried into action. They agreed to pass the 'Jeong-in Prevention Act' aimed at preventing child abuse during the January extraordinary session. Baek Hye-ryun, the Democratic Party's floor leader on the Judiciary Committee, and Kim Do-eup, the People Power Party's floor leader, stated at the National Assembly the day before, "We recognize the seriousness of the Jeong-in case and have agreed to promptly pass child abuse-related laws, including amendments to the Civil Act, during this extraordinary session."

Individual lawmakers are also continuing to propose bills. According to the National Assembly's legislative information system, over 90 bills related to child abuse, including the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, are currently pending in relevant standing committees. On the 5th alone, eight new related bills were introduced.

Specifically, these include a revision to the Child Welfare Act proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Kwon Chil-seung, which clarifies post-management regulations requiring periodic visits to the homes of abused children, and an amendment to the Special Act proposed by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seong-won, mandating that local governments and investigative agencies immediately begin investigations upon receiving child abuse reports.

However, with little time left in the extraordinary session, there are concerns about a rushed review. The plenary session is scheduled for the 8th, when this extraordinary session ends. Even if the standing committees begin reviewing the bills today, they must complete the process within two days.

Regarding this, a Democratic Party lawmaker said, "This is a time when the National Assembly must quickly respond to the public's anger over abused children. Since there are not many contentious issues from the perspective of child protection, the standing committee reviews should proceed smoothly."

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