Seodaemun-gu, Ordinance Revision Related to Child-Friendly Legal System

Five ordinances including the "Ordinance on Support for Adoptive Families" and the "Ordinance on Support for Out-of-School Youth"... Renaming "Children Leaving Care, Children Whose Protective Measures Have Ended" to "Youth Preparing for Independence"

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 20th that it recently revised child-related local ordinances to establish a child-friendly legal system.

The targeted ordinances include five items: ▲ Ordinance on Support for Adoptive Families in Seodaemun-gu ▲ Ordinance on Support for Out-of-School Youth ▲ Ordinance on After-School Care Support for Elementary School Students ▲ Ordinance on Support for Children Leaving Child Welfare Facilities ▲ Ordinance on the Creation of a Child-Friendly City.

The Seodaemun-gu Child Rights Ombudsperson, in cooperation with the UNICEF Korea Committee, reviewed whether the general principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child were appropriately stipulated in each ordinance and identified areas for improvement.

Subsequently, the ordinances were revised through proposals by district council members. Specifically, the existing terms "children leaving facilities" and "children whose protective measures have ended" were changed to "youth preparing for independence," recognizing the subjectivity of children eligible for independence support and strengthening the rights of youth preparing for independence in the ordinances.

Additionally, the definitions of protected children, children who have aged out of protection, children eligible for independence support, and youth preparing for independence were clarified.

Furthermore, phrases that could cause prejudice and discriminatory perceptions against children in the local ordinances were revised, and the responsibilities of adoptive parents were specified to protect the rights of adopted children.

Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, stated, "We will continue to strengthen a child-friendly legal system through ongoing review and improvement of local ordinances and actively promote child policies based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child."

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