Rev. Lee first introduced the idea of the baby box in Korea as a temporary solution to keep abandoned babies alive.(Agencies)

Hundreds of unwanted babies are abandoned on the streets of Seoul, South Korea, every year. Many of them don't survive, but Rev. Jong-rak Lee of Jesus-Loving Union Church has set up a way for saving some of these unwanted babies. Outside his church in Seoul a sign says "Place to leave babies."

A "baby box" is there with a thick towel covering the bottom, and lights and heating to keep a baby comfortable. A bell rings when someone puts a baby in the box. Then a helper comes to immediately move the baby inside. This past year, six infants and small children were rescued at Lee's church.

Many of them are physically or mentally handicapped, or babies from unmarried mothers who can't care for their children.

"His skull is not shaped right," Lee pointed out about one child. "This note says that, 'He has this handicap, I am so sorry, but I am not able to raise this baby. So I put him safely in the baby box of Jesus-Loving Union Church."

Official reports say about 600 infants or young children are abandoned in the streets every year, but the number is probably higher. Only about 20 percent of abandoned infants or children are rescued and placed temporarily in juvenile protection centers.

And the numbers of infant deaths and abandoned children are bound to get worse as the rate of children born to single mothers increases.

Government efforts have not kept up with the need, which is why Christian professionals developed the baby box.

"Obviously it's best for the parents themselves to raise their children, but when the country does not perform its function in this situation, it is important to save the lives of babies first," obstetrician Dr. Sang-Duk Sim said.

Rev. Lee first introduced the idea of the baby box in Korea as a temporary solution to keep abandoned babies alive.

"There is no reason for the baby box to exist if the government takes care of the children's safety, and making them happy," he said.

"[The] baby box should go, but right now there is only inaction and lack of concern."

在韩国首尔，每年都有几百名弃婴被遗弃街头。弃婴的生存率较低，而“主爱共同体教会”牧师李钟落为救助弃婴想出了新办法。李牧师在教堂外放置了“弃婴收容箱”，上面写着“弃婴收留处”。

“弃婴收容箱”里铺着厚厚的毯子，里面的光照和温度让婴儿觉得舒服。当有人把孩子放进收容箱后，就会有铃声响起。紧接着就会有助手把孩子抱进教堂里。在过去一年里，李牧师的教会救助了六名婴幼儿。

其中很多婴幼儿都有身体或智力上的残疾，还有些是被无法照顾孩子的未婚妈妈抛弃的。

李牧师指出，“有个孩子的颅骨是畸形的。送来时纸条上写着：他有残疾，很抱歉，我养不了这个孩子。所以我把他安全地放进了主爱共同体教会的弃婴收容箱里。”

官方报告称，每年大约有600名婴幼儿被遗弃街头，但实际数字可能比这个还多。只有大约20%的被遗弃婴幼儿得到了救助，并暂时安置在未成年人保护中心。

而随着单身妈妈生育率的增长，婴幼儿死亡和被遗弃的情况必将更加严重。

政府措施无法满足救助需求，所以基督教徒才会设立弃婴收容箱。

产科医生金相德说：“父母自己抚养孩子当然最好不过了，但当政府不作为时，最要紧的是先救活孩子。”

李牧师首先提出在韩国设立弃婴收容箱，作为救助弃婴的临时办法。

他说：“如果政府能负责好孩子们的安全，让他们幸福生活，弃婴箱就没有存在的必要了。”

“弃婴箱是应该拆除，但现在政府对救助婴儿不管不顾，而且不关心。”

skull: the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates（头骨）

be bound to: 肯定，注定

obstetrician: 产科医生

inaction: lack or absence of action（不活动，无为，怠惰）