[Initial Reaction] Hoping to Avoid Fixing the Barn Again After Losing the Cow

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The entire society is overwhelmed with waves of mourning and anger over the death of Jeong In-yang, who died at 16 months old after being abused for a long time by her adoptive parents following her adoption last year. Regarding the Jeong In case, the government held an emergency meeting of related ministers chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the 5th to respond to child abuse, presenting eight countermeasures including strengthening public responsibility, promoting legal amendments, regularizing post-inspection, and establishing a comprehensive child abuse department. However, there is considerable criticism that these measures are typical "armchair theorizing" disconnected from reality.

The government’s policy is to immediately separate children from their parents or guardians if they are reported to have been abused more than twice a year. On the ground, however, it is pointed out that current facilities and personnel make this meaningless. An official from a local government child protection agency said, "There is an extreme shortage of shelters and counselors for children," and criticized it as "unrealistic armchair theorizing that excludes voices from the field."

At the end of last year, the government announced through this year’s economic policy direction that it would increase the number of child protection agencies from 71 to 81, adding 10 more, and expand shelters for abused children by 10 to a total of 86. However, the capacity of these facilities is only about 600 people. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s major statistics on child abuse, the number of children judged to be victims of child abuse last year reached 30,045. Considering that about 3,400 of these cases, or 11.4%, were re-abuse cases, the situation is severely insufficient.

The government also plans to assign a total of 664 dedicated child abuse officials to all cities, counties, and districts nationwide within this year, aiming to strengthen expertise and establish a stable foundation for responding to child abuse. In particular, it plans to add professions closely related to children, such as pharmacists and foster parents, as mandatory reporters of child abuse to enhance early detection.

However, this too makes little difference if practical proficiency is not high. Experts say that to increase public responsibility, appropriate expertise and treatment must follow. In other words, bold and stable budget investment is necessary. Currently, the budget related to child abuse accounts for only 4% of the general account and is supplemented by the Crime Victim Protection Fund (범피기금) or lottery funds.

Not long ago, I asked my 7-year-old daughter, "What kind of place is the house we live in?" My daughter, as if finding my question strange, replied, "What do you mean by that? It’s a comfortable place. A good place where we eat, play, and sleep with dad and mom." When I think of home, I also recall the house where I lived with my foster parents during childhood and the home I built after marriage?happy sanctuaries within family. In our lives, home is a refuge and a nest. It is a cozy and pleasant space where tired bodies and minds can be comforted and recharged.

However, for some, home can be a fearful and terrifying place. At least for Jeong In-yang, the 9-year-old child who was locked in a travel bag and tortured with a hairdryer, the elementary school siblings who suffered fire accidents while trying to cook ramen due to repeated neglect by their mother, and the 9-year-old girl who was chained at home, subjected to water torture, and had her feet tortured with red-hot metal chopsticks. Such things may still be rampant in some homes today. Just thinking about it makes me furious. I hope there will be no more fixing the barn after the horse is lost again.

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