Kim Dongyeon Announces Implementation of Public Verification System for 20,000 Undocumented Migrant Children

Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province has announced that the province will implement a public verification system for undocumented migrant children for the first time in South Korea.

On January 9, Governor Kim stated in a post on his social networking service (SNS), "There are about 20,000 children whose basic rights as human beings, such as the right to health, the right to learn, and the right to dream, are being restricted."

He continued, "Gyeonggi Province will be the first metropolitan local government to implement a public verification system for 'children who exist but are invisible'-undocumented migrant children," adding, "This is the first step toward a world where everyone can live with dignity, free from discrimination."

Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province posted a message and photo on his SNS on the 9th.

The public verification system for migrant children is a program in which Gyeonggi Province issues certificates to undocumented migrant children who were born or raised in Korea but have been excluded from public services such as healthcare and welfare, in order to bring them into the institutional framework.

The core of the program is to issue a 'child certificate' to undocumented migrant children under the age of 18 residing in Gyeonggi Province, enabling them to use public facilities such as libraries and to receive support for medical expenses through private organization initiatives.