Failure to Pass Protective Childbirth System in June... Opposition from 야 in Subcommittee

Opposition: "Child's Right to Know... Requires Sufficient Discussion"
Kim Mi-ae: "Multiple Committee Reviews... Difficult to Understand"

The 'Protected Birth System,' which allows mothers in crisis to give birth anonymously, failed to pass the subcommittee of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee. It is unlikely that further discussions will take place this month, making it difficult for the bill to pass the National Assembly on the 30th.

On the morning of the 27th, the Health and Welfare Committee held its first subcommittee meeting to review two bills related to the Protected Birth System but could not reach a conclusion. The ruling party and government pushed for the introduction of the Birth Notification System and the Protected Birth System following a recent case in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, where an unregistered infant was murdered and abandoned. However, the opposition party opposed the bills, citing the need for sufficient discussion on issues such as the child's right to know their parents.

Shin Hyun-young, a doctor and member of the Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly in the afternoon and stated, "The Protected Birth System currently under discussion in the subcommittee has raised concerns from credible child-related organizations such as Save the Children, Good Neighbors, and the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation." She emphasized, "Thorough deliberation and discussion on the issues to maximize the positive functions of the Protected Birth System and minimize its side effects are necessary."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Shin also argued, "We must carefully review and actively gather public opinion through public hearings if necessary to minimize the social stigma of 'births that must be hidden, children who must hide' and the social atmosphere that encourages parents to abandon child-rearing."

However, Kim Mi-ae, a member of the People Power Party who proposed the Special Act on Protected Birth, held a press conference with the 'Protected Birth Law Civic Coalition' at the National Assembly in the afternoon and rebutted the opposition's claims. Kim told reporters at the National Assembly, "(The opposition) claims it is hasty, but it is by no means hasty. There have been four subcommittee discussions, and this topic was the sole subject of questioning during the January government-wide questioning session this year." She added, "The Birth Notification System was proposed much later but is moving quickly, while the Protected Birth System has been reviewed four times in the subcommittee alone, so it is hard to understand why it is not being passed."

Earlier, both ruling and opposition parties reached a consensus to process the Birth Notification System, which requires medical institutions to notify authorities of births even if the birth is not registered, at the Legislative and Judiciary Committee subcommittee on the 28th, followed by approval at the full committee meeting on the 29th and the plenary session on the 30th.

Kim stated, "The right to know is a right that comes after the right to life is protected," and argued, "There is a legal mechanism to guarantee the right to know through subsequent information disclosure requests once the right to life is secured." She explained, "The aim is to minimize tragic situations such as infant deaths and to bring women and children under the protection of the law and the state's protection system."

She also urged, "When questioned to the Minister of Health and Welfare during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2020, the minister said the Protected Birth System should be introduced before the Birth Notification System. It has been two years and seven months since the bill was proposed. Now, the National Assembly must take action."

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