“Preliminary Divorce Validation” to be Implemented

“Harder divorce, easier childbirth”

A “Preliminary Divorce Validation” system will be implemented as early as next year. Under this system, a divorce case needs to be validated of its inevitability by the counseling institutions. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) is planning to implement this system in coordination with the Ministry of Justice through legislating special divorce-related code or revising the civil codes that includes divorce-related provisions within this year.

Minister Kim Hwa-joong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare gave reports about “Agenda of 2004” to Acting President Goh Kun on March 26.

MOHW is planning to set up a counsel center for health and family issues operated by scholars and civic groups and have divorcing couples get validation from the center without exceptions. The ministry plans to set up three centers in Seoul, Chungcheong-Honam, and Youngnam areas for a test run by May or June. In a long run, the ministry plans to have a counseling center in every city, county and district throughout the nation.

To encourage childbirth, the ministry decided to provide the total cost needed in giving birth to a third child through health insurance. The ministry will aid the second childbirth by lowering the burden of payment on the family from 20 percent down to 10 percent. Also, the ministry is promoting additional measures including low-interest financing for newlyweds’ housing, and giving extra benefits for the head of the family with more children under care in applying for a job in the public sector.

The ministry decided to allow the establishment of commercial hospital that do not provide medical insurance benefits in “free economic zones.”

Acting President Goh instructed Minister Kim to set up a blood safety management center under MOHW to take proper measures regarding infection from blood transfusion of the Korean Red Cross.

Seong-Yub Ra cpu@donga.com