| Jeong Jae-min, an official at the Ministry of Justice, speaks during a briefing in Seoul, Monday, on the ministry's plan to allow single people to adopt children. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
A controversy is arising over the government's move to allow single people to legally adopt children, with the decision being welcomed by those who agree on the need to recognize diverse forms of family, while others express concerns over possible child abuse by the adoptive parent.
The Ministry of Justice announced Monday a plan to amend the law to allow an adult who is single to adopt children if they meet certain requirements proving their capability of raising a child.
Under the current law, only couples who have been married for three years are allowed to adopt a child. Unmarried people are ineligible for adoption based on the traditional view that they would face more difficulties in raising a child than married couples.
But a ministry taskforce created to devise policies for single-member households said that many single people are as capable as married people of raising children, and thus the eligibility for adoption should be expanded to include them.
It also took into consideration that a married couple who have adopted a child could later become a single parent family upon the death of a spouse or divorce. The ministry also viewed that the current system excluding single individuals from child adoption may consolidate social prejudice against single-parent households.
But it noted that the child-rearing ability of single people who wish to adopt should be thoroughly assessed during the adoption process, in order to protect the best interests of the child.
The ministry's announcement immediately sparked controversy among internet users. Some people expressed far ranging views from those that think the amendment is a positive step forward in recognizing diverse forms of family in a "traditionally" conservative Korean society, to those who expressed concerns over possible child abuse.
"I agree with the good intentions of the decision. But such changes to the adoption system should come after the government establishes a safer environment for adopted children through strengthened punishment on child abuse and stricter monitoring of adoptive parents," an internet user commented on a Naver article.
Another comment read, "I'm worried that allowing a single man to adopt a girl child could result in the horrible crime of child molestation."
A series of child abuse crimes that have made headlines recently have prompted public concern and demands that the government strengthen requirements in the adoption process.
Most recently, a 29-year-old stepfather was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting and abusing his 20-month-old daughter resulting in her death in June. Earlier in January, an adoptive mother was accused of child abuse and neglect resulting in the death of a 16-month-old baby girl named Jung-in.
Another internet user wrote, "I don't understand why the government is seeking to allow unmarried people to adopt children. Didn't they choose to be single because they want to be free of the responsibilities of marital life and childrearing?"