Adoption and unwed mothers

By Marc Champod

Last week, a newly launched TV channel had a program comparing, side-by-side, abandoned babies for adoption and abandoned dogs. It was just the latest episode of the ongoing public campaign criticizing the special adoption law.

Mass media, without bringing further details or information, is simply relaying the opinions of one group of people they choose to interview. The latter are blaming the special adoption law for forcing unwed mothers to anonymously abandon their babies.

Strangely nobody with a neutral or favourable opinion was interviewed, nor was any explanation of the law provided by the journalists.

What is problematic is not so much that this one-sided opinion is being relayed by TVs and newspapers, but that these ``news reports” only serve to spread and repeat a rumour, which relays only the narrow-sided view on unwed mothers: they are socially unfit to raise their children and should give them up for adoption. No alternative is thinkable, nor is the social responsibility of the father discussed.

I argue when people are targeting the special adoption law, they are mistaken, because this law doesn't force any birth mother to relinquish her baby.

What it does request, is after giving birth, to have a seven days reflection period before giving consent for adoption. It requires her to receive counselling in order to make an informed decision. It requests the woman prove she is the real mother, in order for the family court to approve the adoption.

The latest point is nothing new in Korean legislation, the civil code requested it already for either simple adoption (registered at City Hall) or full adoption (family court approval). From July 1st, simple adoption cases will also be submitted for family court approval.

Then the issue to allow some people not to register their newborn child, is not limited solely to unwed mothers, as some want to believe, but rather concerns all Korean citizens.

Consequently, what one can understand is that the criticism targeting the special adoption law is in fact further proof that the civil code needs revision!

Personally I think the responsibility lies not in the law, but on human beings. Particularly on people who are persuaded that unwed mothers can't raise children. They are still convinced that married couples will make better, more capable parents. And naturally they isolate and push unwed mothers to the margins of society.

This belief, or conviction, is so persistent that even family and friends will avoid and turn away from them. Anybody in such an isolated situation may start to develop feelings of distress, discouragement and become persuaded of their incapability which may lead them to abandon any hope of raising one's child.

Then it is the responsibility of everybody to support rather than condemn unwed mothers. This must be done by not thinking of unwed mothers as apart from their babies but living together happily, raising their children.

In conclusion, as responsible members of society, we should pursue, firstly reducing discrimination against unwed mothers and accept them as any other human being with their qualities and flaws, and secondly making unwed fathers more responsible and supportive.

The writer is currently studying social welfare at Seoul National University as a master’s student. After having worked for many years in the field of pensions and benefits in Switzerland, he has taken the opportunity to pursue higher studies on a Korean governmental scholarship. His email address is marc.korea@gmail.com.