{"id":2202719,"date":"2023-11-10T18:45:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T09:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202719"},"modified":"2023-11-13T17:07:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T08:07:24","slug":"why-a-controversial-new-law-allows-south-korean-women-to-give-birth-anonymously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/11\/why-a-controversial-new-law-allows-south-korean-women-to-give-birth-anonymously\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a controversial new law allows South Korean women to give birth anonymously"},"content":{"rendered":"
A debate is brewing in South Korea over a new law that will allow women to give birth anonymously, as the country wrestles with the need to protect young unwed mothers and childrens\u2019 right to know their parents.<\/span><\/p>\n Under the \u201c<\/span>Protected Birth Bill<\/span><\/a>\u201d passed in August, South Korean women can give birth at designated medical facilities without providing personal information or registering their child under the <\/span>family registration system<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The legislation is aimed at safeguarding women\u2019s privacy, in particular the privacy of young unwed mothers who do not want to reveal to their partners or parents that they have given birth.<\/span><\/p>\n The ultimate goal is to encourage such mothers to give birth in hospitals under professional medical care, rather than to give birth at home to chide their children from their families and partners.<\/span><\/p>\n An <\/span>investigation<\/span><\/a> by the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare earlier this year found that out of 2,000 unregistered babies born to Korean mothers between 2015 and 2022, 249 had died and 601 had been abandoned after birth \u2014 findings that appeared to show the consequences of giving birth outside of hospitals.<\/span><\/p>\n In response, the National Assembly passed the Protected Birth Bill in August, following the <\/span>approval<\/span><\/a> of the Birth Notification System in July.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n