An overlooked aspect of abortion debate

An overlooked aspect of abortion debate - INSIDE JoongAng Daily
The Korean War Baby is pleased to see continuing Media attention to this subject because it is connected to the issues of This Thing of Ours-Adoption. The way Korean society views one effects the other, even the issue of Low Birth rate levels are interconnected.

“Recently, some local obstetricians declared that they will no longer perform abortions, a practice that is technically illegal in Korea but widely carried out nonetheless because authorities often look the other way.

(The KWB must interject that the authors are very mistaken: Since 1973 laws were passed to give medical reasons and for rape or incest, giving a LEGAL loophole for the practice.)

The move has brought a long-controversial topic back into the spotlight yet again, one that has taken on even greater significance as Korea struggles with a low birthrate.
While the government has taken an aggressive stance on boosting the birthrate - even announcing a crackdown on abortions - some observers say it has overlooked a key aspect of the debate: support for unwed mothers. The lack of such assistance, they say, has given rise to more abortions and therefore contributes directly to the low birthrate.

Again the KWB demurs on the authors’ logic and assumptions. “Lack of assistance…has given rise to more abortions and therefore contributes directly to the low birthrate.” Well this is just wrong,  Rather, women who chose to KEEP their babies has risen from 1998 to 2005 according to their own article here:

“…data compiled by the Korean Women’s Development Institute, the ratio of single women who said they want to keep their babies rose from 1.2 percent in 1998 to 31.7 percent in 2005.”

Notice also this fact:

“A study from 2005 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that 42 percent of abortions involved unwed pregnant women.”

Over and over the KWB sees faulty conclusions when the facts are contrary. See, that means that MARRIED WOMEN are still having , uh, 58 percent of abortions, wonder why? Medical reasons are actually less than 10% percent, could it be women still trying to get SONS? Just guessing. This is why one must check all possible sources of information and draw one’s own conclusions.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs also proposes to triple the monthly support. 

“Our goal is to not just support unwed mothers in need, but to provide them with resources so that they can stand on their own feet. It is a more effective policy from a long-term perspective,” said Baik Su-hyun, an official with the family policy bureau at the ministry. “It is the first time that a particular subsidy for unwed mothers has been included in the ministry’s budget.” By Kim Jung-soo, Park Sun-young [spark0320@joongang.co.kr]

The Korean War Baby is pleased to see these developments and applauds the members of ASK (AdopteeSolidarityKorea) and TRACK (TruthReconciliationAdopteesCommissionKorea), KoRoot (Website here) as well as MPAK, Adoption Agencies, law firms, assemblypersons, everyone who is involved in This Thing of Ours-Adoption. It does take a village, to bring hope and change…