The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) expressed concern on Sunday over the low ranking of Korean children's mental health, calling for a society that guarantees the best interests of children, as the nation marks Children's Day on May 5.
"The meaning of Children's Day goes beyond celebrating children," NHRCK Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho said in a statement Sunday. "It is a day to examine whether our society respects children as independent individuals and subjects of rights."
Ahn pointed out that "the best interests of the child," which the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child specifies as the top standard for all systems, is not sufficiently considered in Korean society. Citing UNICEF's child well-being index released last year, he noted that the overall quality of life for Korean children ranked 27th out of 36 major countries. While academic ability ranked high at 4th, mental health stood at 34th, near the bottom of the list.
The commission also pointed out that the spread of early private education is leading to serious child rights issues. "Excessive advance learning, so-called the '4-year-old and 7-year-old entrance exams,' deprives children of time for play, rest, and self-expression," the NHRCK said. "Children's growth should be measured not by the pace of competition, but by the density of time in which they are respected."
The commission also raised alarm over recent cases of suspected child abuse deaths. "An average of about 40 children die from abuse each year," Ahn said. "In the case of infants and toddlers, signs of abuse are often detected late, so post-incident punishment alone has its limits." He mentioned the need for early detection of warning signs, expansion of protection facilities for child safety, and broader recovery support for abused children.
Regarding the recent debate on lowering the age of criminally non-responsible minors, Ahn called for a cautious approach. "Lowering the age of criminally non-responsible minors is not effective in preventing crime," he said. "The solution lies not in stronger punishment, but in robustly guaranteeing opportunities for rehabilitation."
Meanwhile, Children's Day marks its 104th anniversary this year. The holiday was established by Bang Jeong-hwan, known by his pen name Sopa, on May 1, 1923, and was moved to the 5th of the same month after 1946.
