Rep. Kim Mi-ae, adopted mother, says’I’m angry at the recognition of the president’
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Editorial Writer Lee Sang-eon
– There is a person with an extraordinary history of the power of the people, which is sometimes referred to as a’well-being party’. Rep. Kim Mi-ae, 52, who was elected in Busan (Haeundae-eul) during the general election last year. He dropped out of high school because of poverty and worked as a female worker in a textile factory. He also worked as a counterfeit store clerk. He is from a dirt spoon. After attending night college late, he passed the bar exam and transformed into a lawyer for’Kae Chun-yong’, but he focused on activities for youths in and out of juveniles and women living in the suffering of domestic and sexual violence. I did not refuse to defend the public election. More peculiarly, he adopted and raised a child 10 years ago, unmarried. I am still single.
[이상언의 직격인터뷰]
Very few adoptive parents among abusive parents
Turning the arrows of public opinion on adoption issues
Trying to avoid police and government responsibilities
If adoption decreases, childcare facilities increase
– Rep. Kim recently poured out sharp criticism toward President Moon Jae-in at his party meeting, the National Assembly communicator, and Facebook. It is about the abuse case of Jung-in who shocked the whole people. “As an adoptive family, I am angry with the President’s recognition of suggesting’perfect for post-adoption management’ as an important measure. (Omitted) Is it a countermeasure to make the post-adoption management a public institution? Did the public authorities, the police and the child protection agency, play a role?” He asked on Facebook on the 4th. I met him at the National Assembly on the 6th and asked why President Moon’s thoughts were wrong, what problems in our society were identified through the case, and what we should do in the future.
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Rep. Mi-ae Kim (the power of the people), who adopted and raised her daughter 10 years ago, talks about the abuse of Jung In in the office of the Assembly Hall on the 6th. Rep. Kim said, “It is not the nature of this case to be a adoptive parent or a birth parent. The essence of the problem is the constant child abuse and the poorly coped with the public system.” Reporter Lim Hyun-dong
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- What is the reason for being angry at President Moon’s perception?
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- “The first mention of the president on the case of Jung In-i was the adoption issue. They were planning to supervise the entire adoption and establish a public system. Is the nature of this case adoption? Isn’t child abuse the essence? According to statistics from the National Statistical Office, 70 children died of abuse in two years in 2018 and 2019. Only one of them occurred in adoptive families. It was not confirmed whether the adoption was the adoption of a spouse’s child in a remarried family or through an adoption agency. According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2019, 72.3% of perpetrators of child abuse were born parents, and 0.3% were adopted parents. In the case of remarried families, the rate would be much smaller than this if it was limited to adoption through adoption agencies, excluding the case of remarried families.
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- Isn’t it a bad thing to strengthen adoption management?
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- “The nature of the case is that the police and child protection agency (Abojeon), which belong to the public system emphasized by the President, failed to play their role. However, there was no Japanese hemisphere here. Suddenly, the adoption problem came up. It is suspected of attempting to change the frame between the Blue House and the passport. The police and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have to apologize for the breakdown of the public system called Abojeon, and find a way to improve it. If you need adoption maintenance, you can do it, but isn’t that the first? I think the government’s specialty, frame weaving, worked. I can’t help but say it’s cowardly.”
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- Isn’t the adoption agency also responsible for preventing abuse?
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- “The legal adoption process ends with a citation (permission) decision by the Family Court. After that, for a year, the adoption agency is responsible for follow-up management. However, this follow-up management is stipulated in Article 25 of the Special Adoption Act as’observation of the mutual adaptation status of both parents and the services necessary for this’. The goal is to help foster parents and adopted children interact well. While abuse can be reported if it is found, the system is designed so that the police with investigative power and Avojeon, who is responsible for protecting victims of child abuse, play a central role in the investigation and necessary follow-up.”
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- Some point out that the tragedy could have been prevented if the person in charge of the adoption agency had actively observed Jung In-yi and her adoptive parents.
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- “Looking at the counseling records, on September 18, last year, Yang Mo said in an angry voice with a counselor,’I am too angry because my child doesn’t eat well, I’m not sorry.’ It is not normal for parents to say this about their child. Knowing that there were already reports of child abuse and police investigations, I should have immediately informed Abojeon or the police, thinking that something unusual was happening. This is the hard part to understand. I’m thinking of finding out what happened.”
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- Adoption-related organizations, such as the National Adoption Family Solidarity, are also strongly against the President’s remarks.
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- “If Jung-in sees the tragedy as a matter of adoption, how much will the people who adopt and raise children shrink? Wouldn’t everyone think that they see themselves as suspicious eyes and potential criminals? Still, adoptive parents are worried about being told,’Isn’t my child neglected?’ even if a bruise appears on the child’s body. President’s remarks could have a negative effect on adoption. With fewer adoptions, more children will have to go to childcare.”
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- Did Jung-in look at how the abuse occurred?
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- “I did some research on my adoptive parents. I am cautious because I do not know the details of the police investigation, but I thought that adoption was a “good thing,” but I did not think I could handle it. Wool has long been close to adoptees who have gone abroad from Korea. In the process, it seems that he vaguely decided that he would adopt if he married. It is said that the couple has been talking about adoption since dating before marriage. However, the number of dependents is increasing, and because of the corona crisis, there is no place to leave the child, so it seems that the stress has exploded toward the child. In April of last year, the family moved around because of a moving problem. We are looking into the economic situation, including that.”
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- In recent days, more than 10 new child abuse laws have been poured out in the National Assembly.
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- “Separation of victims and severe punishment are not the best. Nor does this continue because there are no laws and institutions. The problem is that it still does not function properly. There are quite a few things in the current Child Abuse Penalty Act. The system doesn’t work properly because the police don’t have expertise and the budget for Avojeon, etc. is small. I shout’immediate separation’, but I don’t know how many places I can take care of and care for my child.”
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- If so, what is an effective child abuse prevention plan?
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- “Instead of immediately separating children from families with suspected abuse, we are thinking of introducing a system that allows parents and children to receive counseling education, and even camps if necessary. Family court offers these programs for divorced couples. Aren’t there cases on TV where parents get expert counseling and realize that their parenting method is wrong? It is desirable to provide support to alleviate the difficulties of parenting while consulting.”
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- Many people guess that child abuse has increased due to the spread of Corona 19.
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- “Since earning is reduced and being attached to the child all day, it can be difficult to control emotions. Since volunteers cannot go to the childcare facility, difficulties will build up there as well. Children suffering from abuse or neglect will be hidden everywhere. The president has to worry about this.”
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- It is a question of personal history, why did you adopt a child?
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- “When I was fifteen, my mother passed away. Looking at children growing up without a mother, it didn’t seem like someone else’s job. While working as a lawyer, I met many so-called delinquent teenagers. In the process, I developed a lot of attachment to my children. The fact that I am a’unmarried mother’ seems to be confusing to my child, so I told her that there is a mother who gave birth to my daughter (10 years old).”
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- He said to himself,’There was a dragon in Gaecheon’, but what I want to say to young people.
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- “Former Minister Cho Kook, who talked about crayfish, crucian carp, and frogs living happily in Gaecheon, is hypocrisy. They tried to make their children live as dragons. I want young people to live hard for themselves and their families without being deceived by these lies. I will try to connect the ladder of class rise that was cut off by the National Assembly. I’m also trying to help my way of becoming a lawyer without going to law school.”
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Editorial Writer Lee Sang-eon
※ Intern reporter Lee Ji-woo participated in organizing the interview manuscript.
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