|
More than half the n=
ation`s
adopted children and almost all those who are disabled are adopted
overseas, Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics show. =
From 2002 to the present, there hav=
e been
a total of 13,857 adoptees, and 8,204 of these, or 59 percent, were t=
aken
overseas. Of the 2,642 disabled children, 97.7 percent were adopted
overseas, Uri Party Rep. Jang Hyang-suk reported, quoting figures fro=
m a
Health Ministry report.
"We are the only country among=
those
with over $100,000 in national per capita income to send their childr=
en
overseas for adoption," said Rep. Jang. "We must put an end=
to
overseas adoption and establish policy measures to encourage domestic
adoption," she said.
Americans adopted the most Korean
children - a total of 6,280, including 2,202 who are disabled. Sweden took the next highest number =
of
adoptees -309 disabled children in a total 384 - followed by Australia and Canada.
Insufficient government support is =
the
reason behind Koreans sending their children overseas for adoption,
according to Rep. Jang`s secretary.
"The Korean government support=
s only
the medical fees of adopted children until they are grown-up, which is
meager compared to other countries with better welfare. For parents to
take care of disabled children costs two or three times more than
bringing up nondisabled children," said Choo Gyeong-min, Rep. Ja=
ng`s
secretary.
Other reasons for the lack of adopt=
ion in
Korea
is that it is not as culturally accepted here as in other countries, =
and
parents are choosy when they adopt, Choo said.
"The reason for overseas adopt=
ion is
more because of a lack of government support rather than Koreans` gen=
eral
unwillingness to adopt disabled children.
In foreign developed countries, the
social welfare system is favorable to parents who adopt," said C=
hoo.
Rep. Jang conducted a survey of 57
adoptees who visited Korea
last month which showed all of those adopted children had experienced
racial prejudice, and 21 said such prejudice extended even into the
family into which they had been adopted.
(jkwon@heraldm.com)
By Kwon Ji-young =
2005.10.04
|