Tragedy highlights risks of leaving children alone

On the night of July 2, two sisters aged 8 and 6 died in a fire at an apartment in Gijang County, Busan, while their parents were away. The fire is believed to have started from a power strip near an air conditioner that had been left running. This tragedy comes less than ten days after another fatal fire in Busanjin District, where two sisters aged 10 and 7 died while their parents were out working early morning cleaning shifts. “Thinking about the children desperately searching for a way out in the flames is heartbreaking,” said a neighbor.

According to reports, the sisters who died on July 2 had returned home with their mother at around 8 p.m. after studying in a room attached to the family’s fried chicken shop. Their father stayed behind to work until around midnight. On the day of the incident, both parents returned home earlier than usual but went out again afterward. While homes are typically considered the safest place for children, statistics show that nearly half of child safety accidents occur at home. The danger is especially high when no adult is present. In February, a similar tragedy occurred in Incheon, where a 12-year-old girl died in a fire while her parents were out for dialysis treatment and restaurant work.

The government offers childcare support services for children under 12; however, the application process is cumbersome and can take up to a month. Emergency care services during vulnerable hours, such as late nights, early mornings, or weekends, are particularly hard to access, with caregivers in short supply. Reports say 4 out of 10 emergency care requests are unsuccessful. As dual-income households increase, more low-income children are left alone, often unsupervised. There is an urgent need to establish a tightly connected, community-based childcare system to prevent gaps in care at any hour.

These back-to-back tragedies in Busan serve as a painful reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended. In countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, it is a punishable offense to leave children under 12 to 16 years old without supervision. While South Korea has similar regulations, the law is vague and lacks specific age guidelines. It is not difficult to understand the plight of parents forced to leave their children at home to make a living. However, we must also ask ourselves whether a complacent belief that it is acceptable to leave children home alone has taken root in our society.