By UCA News reporter
SOUTH KOREA – A group of South Korean lawmakers has proposed a bill requiring medical institutions to register babies born to undocumented foreign nationals in a bid to protect the rights of children.
The bill was jointly presented in the National Assembly last week by 11 lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), The Korea Times reported on Feb 10.
An official at the office of lawmaker Lee Kang-ill of the DPK, who is leading the legislation effort, said if the bill is passed into law it will help many children.
“The right to be recognized as a person is a prerequisite for exercising all other rights,” the unnamed official said.
“If a baby is denied this right, they cannot access any welfare programs, including education and health. Worse, the baby is at a greater risk of crimes such as illegal adoption or trafficking,” the official added.
In their proposal, the lawmakers voiced concerns about exposing the children of non-citizens to “crimes like child trafficking and illegal adoption.”
“The bill aims to protect their human rights more broadly by allowing them to be registered here and later giving them access to the information and their documents,” the lawmakers said.
The bill mandates the registration of children born to undocumented foreign nationals in the South Korean government system and also aims to set up the infrastructure needed to track and document the deaths of such children.
Reportedly, several undocumented foreign nationals in Korea have refrained from registering the birth of their children in the government system over fears of deportation.
Hence, the proposed bill seeks to ensure that government officials involved in birth registration are prohibited from reporting undocumented residents to the immigration office, providing a measure of protection for these families.
Earlier, the lawmakers held two public hearings on the issue.
The combined efforts from the ruling and opposition parties are expected to yield a positive outcome converting the proposed bill into a law, the unnamed official told The Korea Times.
The plight of undocumented babies came to light in 2023, when deep-rooted systemic failures, including a lack of mandatory birth reporting, and social stigma surrounding single mothers were exposed.
Many single mothers have felt compelled to hide the birth of their children due to the immense societal pressure that is imposed upon them, The Korea Times reported.
This situation has led to cases of infanticide and abandonment, fueling urgent calls for reforms and a fundamental shift in societal attitudes across Korea.
Last year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare began enforcing a policy requiring medical institutions to report all Korean newborns to the state-run Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.
This service shares data with local government officials.
While the exact number of unregistered minors living in the country is unknown, the Board of Audit and Inspection data estimates that at least 4,025 babies went unregistered between 2015 and 2022, according to The Korea Times. – UCA News
