Seongbuk District to Conduct Full Survey of Over 200 Children Aged Six and Under With No Medical Records

Home Visits Scheduled from This Month Until September
Police Accompaniment Under Consideration

On May 8, Seongbuk District in Seoul announced that it will conduct a comprehensive survey targeting approximately 200 children aged six and under who are suspected to be at risk and have no record of using medical institutions.

This survey has been arranged as a proactive measure to ensure child safety, following a series of fatal child abuse cases involving infants under the age of three and as the government moves to strengthen the child abuse prevention and response system.

Scenery of Seongbuk District Office. Provided by Seongbuk-gu.

The subjects of the survey are children who did not receive scheduled national immunizations on time, have no record of medical institution visits within the past year, or did not undergo infant health checkups—essentially, children who have not used medical services.

From this month until September, the survey will be conducted through joint home visits by local community centers and the Seongbuk District Child Protection Agency. In particular, for children aged two and under, who may have difficulty expressing themselves, professional staff from the child protection agency will accompany the visit to closely examine their safety and caregiving environment.

To ensure the effectiveness of the investigation, the district has also strengthened on-site inspections. During visits, the child’s health condition, presence of injuries, and living environment are checked, and photographic evidence and other documentation are collected. If the guardian refuses the visit twice in a row, the district plans to conduct a third visit accompanied by the police to check the household.

If any signs of child abuse are identified as a result of the investigation, the authorities will immediately separate the child and request an official investigation. If there are no signs of abuse but the household is found to be experiencing caregiving difficulties due to financial hardship or other reasons, the district will connect them to tailored welfare services.

If you observe any signs suggesting child abuse, you can report them by dialing 112 without an area code. For child abuse counseling, contact the local government emergency hotline at 02-2241-2662.

A Seongbuk District official stated, “We will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that not a single child is left in a blind spot for child abuse,” adding, “We will continue to do our utmost to establish a comprehensive child protection system so that children can grow up safely and healthily.”

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