“The (Korean) Ministry of Health and Welfare's request for a 4.8 billion won budget for an 'Adoption Records Center' has been rejected by the Ministry of Finance.”
July 26th, 2024:
As we have previously predicted, the process of moving thousands of adoption records from Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC (The National Center for the Rights of the Child, a Korean government agency) will NOT be easy or smooth. Please see our previous post:
If you are are a KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee ONLY who has any interest in birth family search, please see this page:
KSS Adoptees Should Request Their Files NOW.
Thank you to Jack Greenberg of KoreaPro.org for the link to the article below:
https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20240718000032
ChatGPT translation of Korean article (BOLDS ours). Please note that what is called the “Child Rights Protection Agency” in the article is the SAME Korean government organization which we call NCRC / The National Center for the Rights of the Child:
"[Exclusive] Protective Birth System Faces Hurdles from the Start… Budget for 'Adoption Records Center' Rejected by Ministry of Finance
Article Input: July 18, 2024, 10:29
Last Updated: July 18, 2024, 10:29
The protective birth system, which is set to begin on July 19, is facing issues right from the start. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's request for a 4.8 billion won budget for an 'Adoption Records Center' has been rejected by the Ministry of Finance.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Finance, the budget request of 4.8 billion won for the Adoption Records Center, submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Protection Agency, was denied by the Ministry of Finance during budget review.
◆ 4.8 Billion Won Needed for Temporary Storage and Facility Design
The (Korean) government announced last June that it would enhance the state's responsibility for adoption following the passage of the 'Domestic Adoption Special Act' and the 'International Adoption Act'.
However, the Ministry of Finance's stance is that establishing an Adoption Records Center is unnecessary, arguing that the 'Domestic Adoption Special Act' does not mandate the installation of such a facility.
Records such as adoption documents and birth certificates are considered public records and are subject to the 'Public Records Act', which requires the establishment and operation of a records center. Failure to establish the center due to budget constraints would mean the government is not fulfilling its legal obligations.
As of June last year, the 'Domestic Adoption Special Act' and the 'International Adoption Act' require the transfer and storage of approximately 250,000 adoption records held by adoption agencies and child welfare facilities to the Child Rights Protection Agency by July next year. Adoptive parents can request public disclosure of adoption information from the agency's director.
Although intangible and tangible adoption records, including documents and baby clothes, are set to be transferred to the Child Rights Protection Agency, its current storage capacity is 98% full. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Protection Agency requested a budget of 4.825 billion won from the Ministry of Finance for temporary storage, a full survey of records, and the design of the Adoption Records Center (see table).
The estimated budget for temporary storage is 2.4 billion won. Security and maintenance of adoption records are critical, requiring gas-based fire suppression systems rather than sprinklers and stable temperature and humidity levels. This temporary storage is considered for the long-term establishment of the Adoption Records Center.
The full survey of adoption records, required by the 'Public Records Act', is conducted to inventory non-electronic records before transfer. The estimated cost for this survey is 925 million won.
The estimated cost for establishing the Adoption Records Center is approximately 30 billion won. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Protection Agency chose to proceed with the new establishment in phases to expedite the process, starting with a budget of 1.5 billion won for design.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated, "For adoptees, this is the only place where documents about their identity are kept, making it very important. The best option for permanent preservation is to establish a standalone records center." The official added, "Since establishing the center will take time, we need to start the design process as soon as possible next year."
◆ Adoption Records Center Not Ready for Birth Certificates Despite System Launch
The Adoption Records Center will also serve as a repository for birth certificates containing personal information of crisis pregnant women, who can apply for anonymous birth under the protective birth system starting July 19.
Crisis pregnant women will fill out birth certificates with personal details and counseling information when applying for anonymous births. After delivery, the child’s gender and name will also be recorded. All birth certificates and child information will be transferred to and kept confidential by the Child Rights Protection Agency. Children born through protective births can request document disclosure from the agency’s director, but the birth mother’s consent is required.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare official noted, "Once the protective birth system starts, documents will begin to accumulate. When the records center is established, one section will store adoption records and the other will store birth certificates." However, the official also mentioned, "We have not yet discussed the location or scale of the records center, so discussions about birth certificates are still pending."
[Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare]
The Child Rights Protection Agency representative emphasized, "For adoptees and children born through protective births, items like umbilical cords and identity documents are crucial. It is a matter of their right to know, so proper storage is very important." The representative added, "There are high expectations for significant changes, making this an urgent and important issue, but it is proving more difficult than anticipated."
However, a Ministry of Finance official responded, "We are aware that the law has been amended to improve adoption management, and we will consider this during the budgeting process," but added, "The law does not specify the need to create a records center." The official further remarked, "It seems like the Ministry of Health and Welfare wants to build a building, but having a separate building for managing records does not necessarily mean better management."
Nevertheless, the establishment of a records center is required by law. Since the Child Rights Protection Agency is a public institution and the records are public records, they are subject to the 'Public Records Act'. According to Article 13 of the 'Public Records Management Act', public institutions must establish and operate records centers as stipulated by presidential decree for effective management of public records.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated, "The records center must meet legal requirements regarding area and load, which temporary storage cannot fulfill. To comply with legal obligations, we need to reflect the design budget immediately."
sdk1991@newspim.com"
Translation of the Visual / Graphic text from the article via ChatGPT:
