Surrogacy

 

Surrogacy

Simon Lee

Historically, Korea has been developed the idea of one-blood nation over its rich history of 5000 years.  During the years of the last dynasty in Korean peninsula, named Joseon, the founding principle of Joseon based on the neo-Confucianism developed and completely established the idea of primogenital succession in family and the society.  As Repulic of Korea is a relatively young country, compared to many western countries in the viewpoint of modernization and democratization, Korean government adopted modern value of equality regarding race, class and gender faces to social struggles and gender.  This newly adopted social value has broken many of old social norms and customs; however, it is still facing to many social issues and conflicts. 

Traditionally in Korea, married women’s primary task was to give a birth to a male child for the continuum of family from the previous generation to the next.  Often, the failing this result the forced divorce or husband’s deserting wife.  In both social and cultural way, the divorce of a couple was normally viewed as problematic in husband or family.  Also, it would result the negative effects on their social reputation.  In order to catch both rabbits of continuing the family and social reputation, high class and rich families usually chose surrogated mothers.  Infertility could be caused by either or both partners in a couple; however, such a male dominant family oriented culture and society often brought all the responsibilities on women. 

The value of equality is well adopted in today’s Korea and women’s right in society is well protected on the surface; however, some of the cultural customs still make pressures on women.  The continuum of family is one of those things since it is considered as a very important value in Korean society.  Both parents suffer from infertility; however, the level of women’s stress is usually much higher than men.  

In accordance to the survey of Korean Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, one out of every five couples in Korea survives the infertility.  Korean government’s national health insurance makes financial support for getting In Vitro Fertilization (IVF); however, this method’s lower rate of successful pregnancy and couples’ individual circumstances drag them to choose surrogated parent. 

Korean government prevents surrogacy by its health and prostitution prevention laws, however, desperate couples often choose to have a surrogated parent illegally.  This business transaction of surrogacy occurs through online café, blog, or social network systems.  Lately, this becomes a big social issue because its market shows its significantly fast growth and it retrogrades the cultural and social improvement. 

‘VJ Special Corps,’ one of documentary-type reporting TV programs in Korea, dealt with this specific issue in depth lately.  In a secret interview with a surrogacy agent, hiring the surrogated mother cost 30,000 USD to 100,000 USD depending on the type of women and their providing services and hiring surrogated father cost around 30,000 USD.  Yes, it is illegal and Korean government’s restriction for life related violence is extremely strict.  But the volume of this market seems increasing day by day.  The lust toward money is using the pure and natural will of parents’ happiness of having children.

Yet, the adoption is not common in Korean culture due to the stronger blood related family ship.  Korean society needs to make the cultural growth by expanding its cultural and social quality of family.