Every year hundreds of babies are abandoned in Seoul, South Korea and a new law has contributed to an increase in this statistic.
The Special Adoption Law states that infants can’t be put up for adoption without their births being registered with the government and requires that mothers stay with their babies for at least seven days before putting them up for adoption.
According to the Wall Street Journal, this law has attributed to an increase in the amount of babies that are abandoned.
Pastor Lee Jong-rak from the Jusarang Church in Seoul, South Korea can be credited for saving the lives of many babies by introducing the ‘baby-box.’
Before the new law was passed in August 2012, the ‘baby-box’ or ‘drop-box’ received on average two newborns per month and over the last year that figure has risen to about 19, explains Mr.Lee.
Mothers can open a letterbox style door, place their baby onto a clean white towel inside and press a button to ring a bell that alerts Mr. Lee or one of his staff to the presence of the baby.
After a baby in a cardboard box was left on the doorstep of his church in 2009, Pastor Lee knew something had to be done and he came up with this idea.
He and his staff provide 24 hour care for the babies, before they are taken to the local district office by police. They are then taken for a hospital check before being placed in orphanages.
“The law must be changed, because if it isn’t, there will only be more abandoned babies,” says Pastor Lee.
If you’d like to donate to Pastor Lee or his wonderful ministry, please visit KindredImage.org.
