Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]
Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]

Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea, representing Jeongeup and Gochang-gun in North Jeolla Province, said Monday he had introduced a bill to expand child protection centers in line with actual demand — including the number of abuse cases — and to establish a clear legal and fiscal basis for systematic recovery programs aimed at helping abused children return to daily life and grow holistically.

Under current law, local governments are required to operate at least one child protection center per city, county or district to handle treatment for abused children and prevent the recurrence of abuse, Yoon said.

However, that framework focuses narrowly on administrative boundaries, leaving little room to reflect the actual child population in a given area, the real number of abuse cases, or the urgent needs voiced by frontline workers and the rapidly growing administrative demand.

Beyond temporary protection or separation, abused children need systematic recovery programs to grow into healthy members of society, Yoon said. Yet practitioners have consistently noted that the absence of a clear legal mandate and fiscal support structure makes it difficult to deliver effective assistance.

In response, Yoon introduced the amendment to expand child protection center infrastructure and support the swift return to daily life for children who have suffered abuse.

The bill would move away from the current one-center-per-jurisdiction formula, instead allowing the minister of health and welfare to recommend that provincial governors establish additional child protection centers based on the number of children in the area, the incidence of abuse cases and the level of need for child protection. It also creates a funding mechanism under which the central government may cover all or part of the costs of setting up such centers.

The bill also explicitly adds "development and operation of support programs for the swift return to daily life and holistic growth of abused children" to the official duties of child protection centers, and includes those programs among expenses eligible for government and local government subsidies — strengthening state and local accountability for the care of abused children.

"We must include the development and operation of programs that support abused children's swift recovery and holistic growth among the core duties of child protection centers, so that these children can overcome their trauma and grow into healthy members of society," Yoon said. "Through this amendment, I will continue to do my utmost to improve the effectiveness of child protection infrastructure and strengthen the state's support system for helping abused children reclaim their daily lives."


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