‘Baby Box’ Still Raises Ethical Questions Amidst Support and Opposition

Seen here is a baby box set up in front of Jusarang Community Church in southern Seoul on May 11, 2023. The hatch was established in 2009 as the first of its kind in South Korea. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The “baby box,” introduced in South Korea 14 years ago by Joosarang Community Church in Seoul to help parents who cannot afford to rear children, continues to be a controversial issue in the country.

Since the drop box, where unmarried mothers can leave unwanted infants, was first set up in Seoul’s Gwanak District in 2009, a total of 2,076 babies have been brought in as of last Wednesday, according to the church.

Supporters say that it is the last resort for desperate people.

Among parents who left their child in a baby box as of April, 84.4 percent were single mothers.

Babies born from divorced families, extramarital relationships, and undocumented foreigners are also brought to the baby boxes.

Sorted by age, the majority of 51.9 percent of the baby box users were in their 20s, and 9.4 percent were teenagers.

“When a baby is brought to the baby box, a counselor comes out to meet with the parent,” said church pastor Lee Jong-rak, explaining that most of the parents go through counseling when they come to use the baby box.

“Through counseling, we try to convince the parents to rear their children. If that’s too hard, we advise them to send their children to a foster family or for adoption so that the children can be raised in a family environment.”

Pastor Lee Jong-rak of Jusarang Community Church in Seoul (Yonhap)

Opponents argue that they encourage the abandonment of babies, guiding parents to make the “easier choice” of leaving behind babies in a box when there are government social security programs or social welfare organizations that they can go to for help.

“A tree lives when the roots are there. A rootless tree will collapse when the wind blows,” an official from the adoption agency said.

“That accounts for the high suicide rate and low self-esteem among youth who grew up in facilities with no family connections.”

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)