18.
Before the NHRCK’s recommendation mentioned above, the types of day care centers
for children which were subject to the Government’s control of indoor air quality were national
or public centers, corporate centers, company-based centers and private centers, and other types
of centers, such as home-based centers and cooperative centers, were not within the coverage.
Even among the types of day care centers whose indoor air quality is subject to the
Government’s control, they are excluded from the coverage if their total floor area is smaller
than 430 m2. The consequence is that, as of 2018, 34,104 children’s day care centers (86%), out
of the total of 39,640 in this country, were outside the coverage of the indoor air quality control.
19.
It is encouraging that the indoor air quality control has been reinforced with the
amendments to the relevant legislation and manuals and further efforts to manage indoor air
quality, including the support for the installation of air purifiers, have been made in 2019 (para.
15 of the Replies to the List of Issues in Relation to the Combined 5th and 6th Periodic Report
of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter "the Replies to the List of Issues")).
20.
The Government should take consistent actions and reactions to ensure that
children are protected from fine dust.
B. General Principles
(Articles 2, 3, 6 and 12)
Issue 8. Child Policy Impact Assessment – in relation to para. 3 (e) of the
List of Issues
21.
In accordance with the Child Welfare Act, starting from 2019, in case the national
government or any local government intends to formulate a child-related policy, it should
conduct a child policy impact assessment to analyze and assess the impact that such policy may
have on children’s welfare and reflect the assessment result in the process of the formulation
and implementation of the policy. In March 2019, the Government revised the relevant
legislation to provide for the procedures and methods of child policy impact assessment.
However, no child policy impact assessment was made with regard to the “the Policies for
Children toward Building an Inclusive Society” which the Government established on May 23,
2019, as an effort to strengthen the state’s responsibility for children.
22.
The Government should ensure that the child policy impact assessment is
effectively conducted in accordance with the legislation.
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