A baby box is a small metal container designed to allow mothers who are unable to raise their babies due to unavoidable circumstances to leave them safely. It was created to protect the safety of abandoned infants. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 21 (Korea Bizwire) — One year after South Korea implemented a program allowing pregnant women in crisis to give birth under pseudonyms, 109 women have utilized the service, and 171 others have opted to raise their children following state-supported counseling, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The program, known as the Protected Birth System, was launched on July 19, 2023, alongside a separate birth notification law aimed at preventing unregistered or abandoned children—so-called “ghost children.” The initiative enables women in severe social or economic distress to receive prenatal care and deliver under an alias, while ensuring the newborn is registered and protected by the state.
Between July 2023 and July 2024, nearly 2,000 women received over 7,600 counseling sessions under the program. Of those, 340 received in-depth consultations. In addition to the 109 women who pursued protected births, 33 opted for formal adoption after birth, while the majority—171—chose to raise their children themselves, often reversing initial plans after receiving support and information.
Officials said 20 women who had initially requested protected birth ultimately decided against it after a mandatory reflection period and counseling. In some cases, women who had concealed their pregnancy from family members found the confidence to disclose the news and received familial support to raise their child.
The Ministry credited the program with helping reduce the number of abandoned infants in South Korea to 30 last year, down sharply from 88 in 2022.
While some critics have expressed concern that anonymous births could undermine children’s right to know their origins, the government has implemented safeguards, including the issuance of birth certificates that can be accessed when the child reaches adulthood.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Child Protection Agency continue to operate a national counseling line (☎1308) and 16 regional centers to support women in crisis. The agency has also archived 51 birth certificates from protected deliveries for future disclosure.
Officials say the program reflects South Korea’s broader commitment to protecting the lives of children while offering alternatives to abandonment for mothers in crisis.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
