Kim Heekyung Urges End to the Term "Illegitimate Child"
Calls for a Child-Centered Perspective, Not One Focused on Parents' Marital Status
Heekyung Kim, former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family, argued that the child of actor Jung Woosung, born outside of marriage, should not be referred to as an "illegitimate child."
On December 1, Kim wrote on Facebook, "I declined all requests from several media outlets for comments and guidance regarding Jung Woosung's non-marital birth of a son. Everyone talks about the need to break the mold of the 'normal family' and to eliminate prejudice against non-marital births, but I didn't feel the need to add my voice." She continued, "However, I am very bothered by the continued use of the term 'illegitimate child' to refer to Jung Woosung's son, and I want to say that we should stop using it."
Kim explained, "Classifying children as 'illegitimate' or 'legitimate' based on their parents' marital status is an excessive emphasis on normalcy and an act that encourages prejudice. It is a perspective that centers on the parents, and it is a term that places a negative label on a child who bears no responsibility." Under the current Civil Act, children are classified as "children born out of wedlock" (illegitimate) and "children born in wedlock" (legitimate) depending on their parents' marital status.
Kim further stated, "I hope people will stop calling children 'illegitimate,' a discriminatory term that most already feel is outdated. Let's focus on the child. He is not an 'illegitimate child,' but simply a son." In fact, according to the "National Public Opinion Survey on Family Diversity" released in 2019 during Kim's tenure, more than 7 out of 10 Koreans (75.6%) agreed with abolishing the legal term "child born out of wedlock." By gender, the approval rate was slightly higher among women (78.4%) than men (72.9%). By age group, those in their 40s had the highest approval rate at 83.6%, while those in their 70s had the lowest at 56.3%.
Meanwhile, on November 24, actor Jung Woosung acknowledged through his agency that he is the biological father of the son born to model Moon Gabi. Later, at the Blue Dragon Film Awards held on November 29, Jung Woosung took the stage as both the presenter and recipient of the "Most Popular Audience Award" and said, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern and disappointment to everyone who has shown me love and support. I will take full responsibility for all criticism. As a father, I will fulfill my responsibilities to my son to the very end."
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