Issue 9. National Center for the Rights of the Child 23. The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) was launched in July 2019, for the purpose of implementing child policies in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, in accordance with the Child Welfare Act. With the establishment of the NCRC, the delivery structures of a variety of child-related services which were previously performed by privatesector providers have been integrated into the public service organization. This integration serves to increase connections with the local communities that, based on the protection from the state, have taken child-related policy measures, which, in turn, may lay the foundation for the best interests of the child being a primary consideration in the child-related policy-making process and in regard of children who are in a situation of child protection, child abuse and alternative care. 24. The NCRC integrates: the Korea Adoption Services which provides adoption-related services; the National Center for Missing Children which works to prevent children’s missing, supports the families of missing children and provides counseling upon their return; the Headquarters of Dream Start which supports Dream Start Project providing comprehensive supports to vulnerable children in alliance with the local communities; and the Independence Support which educates and supports the children discharged from child-rearing facilities, for the sake of their self-reliance. Furthermore, in January 2020, the NCRC will additionally integrate the National Child Protection Agency which provides services in relation to child abuse; the National Foster Care Center which provides services in relation to foster care; the Headquarters for Community Child Center which supports the community child centers for their services of child welfare, care and education; and the Child Development Account (Didim Ssiat) Project Support which supports the project intended to help children in low-income families build seed money by adding the Government’s matching fund (of up to KRW 40,000 per month) to the amount of money which is saved by their guardian or patron in their bank account. 25. The Government should give full support to ensure that the NCRC fulfills its roles and responsibilities which are prescribed in the law. Issue 10. Child suicide – in relation to para. 4 (a) of the List of Issues 26. According to the Causes of Death Statistics by the Statistics Korea, the number of people under 19 years of age who killed themselves was 255 in 2017; 273 in 2016; 245 in 2015; 276 in 2014; and 308 in 2013. As of the year 2017, among every 100,000 persons who killed themselves, those aged 5~9 numbered 0.0; those aged 10~14 numbered 1.5; and those aged 15~19 numbered 7.2. 7