- Headline: Supporting Unwed Mothers in Korea
- Source: Arirang News
- Date of Publication: March 9, 2009
- Summary:
Doctor Richard Boas from the United States is the founder and director of the 'Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network.' This is his sixth visit to Korea to meet with unwed mothers and to bring to light the difficulties unwed mothers face in society. He is also the father of an adopted Korean girl who says he has decided to address the difficulties unwed mothers go through when they have no other choice but to give up their child. Dr. Richard Boas, an American who adopted a daughter from Korea in 1988, retired from his career as an ophthalmologist and began supporting families in the United States interested in adoption, hoping to share the positive aspects of adoptive family life. As part of this work, he visited Korea in 2006. However, upon seeing firsthand how most unwed mothers were compelled to place their children for adoption due to overwhelming social pressures and financial challenges, he came to understand that the joy experienced by adoptive families often came at the cost of deep personal loss for these mothers and their children.
Following this realization, Dr. Boas returned to the United States and decided to step away from his work with prospective adoptive families. In 2007, he gathered funds to support unwed mothers in Korea, formally launching his efforts to improve their circumstances. In 2008, he founded the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network (KUMSN) and assembled a team that included Consultant Ellen Furnari, Executive Director Hee Jung Kwon, and staff members Kang Eun-joo, Yoo Ji-young, Lee Seul-gi, and Han Seung-hee. Under Dr. Boas's leadership, KUMSN became Korea’s first advocacy organization dedicated to the rights of unwed mothers, promoting awareness to shift public perceptions surrounding unwed motherhood. Additionally, KUMSN supported the Korean Women’s Development Institute with three years of research funding, enabling a more systematic approach to policy research on issues affecting unwed mothers.
In 2012, upon his departure, Dr. Boas was awarded the Civil Merit Medal by the Korean government in recognition of his contributions to the unwed mothers’ rights movement in the country. Since then, KUMSN has transitioned into a registered non-profit organization, continuing its mission to support unwed mothers and foster greater public understanding through advocacy.
#Advocacy #UnwedMothers #Campaign #Changes #SouthKorea #2000s |
