Korea's 'Baby box': one baby saved, one less life lost

"We could have had a dead baby out in front of our door if we hadn’t been there on time. It was a mortifying thought and that’s why we created the baby box," said church pastor Lee Jong-rak of the Joosarang Community Church, which operates the hatch.

The mothers who leave their babies at this baby box are mostly single mother are in their teens. There are also children born from affairs, incest, rape, or between illegal immigrant parents, according to the church.

"Without state protection, the mothers end up abandoning the babies. The onus is on the government. It is also the responsibility of our policies, our legal system and all of us as adults. This is the fault of our society and our cultural practices. We shouldn’t be pinning the blame on these children and casting stones at them." Lee says.

#babybox #babyhatch

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Interviewed by Lee Min-young
Translation by Yu Joon-hee
Video filmed by Kim Kang-min
Cast: Han Chung-ha