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In a lower-middle class neighborhood in southwestern Seoul sits a house for abandoned babies.

This safe haven for babies, mostly with serious physical or mental handicaps, has been embroiled in a controversy due to its so-called baby box.

Lifestyles has the story.

The baby box is South Koreas first and only box to collect abandoned infants, installed by Pastor Lee Jong-rak in December 2009 to discourage abortions and abandonment of newborns in unsafe public places.

The baby box is equipped with a thick towel covering the bottom, and has lights and heating to keep a baby comfortable. "This is a community for the protection of babies," reads a sign next to the baby box. "Please dont throw away unwanted or disabled babies, or babies of single mothers. Please bring them here instead."

SOUNDBITE　(KOREAN)　LEE　JONG-RAK, PASTOR　
"I thought those babies could be harmed badly if things went wrong. Many die of hypothermia, or some could be attacked by wandering animals. So I thought a place where those babies could be placed safely was needed."

A bell rings when parents or single mothers place their unwanted babies in the box. Then Lee comes to immediately pick up those babies to look after them and raise them with love.

So far, Lee has saved the lives of 26 newborns with the baby box.

The house, called Gods Love Community, currently has 20 children. Its been 13 years since the 57-year-old pastor began taking care of deserted babies.

Most of the children under Lees care, aged from two months and 18 years, suffer from serious illnesses and disabilities.

Lee has adopted some children while the rest have been sent to other facilities. Lee said from now on he must report babies taken in through the baby box to legal facilities.

Lees own son, Eun-man, was born twenty five years ago with cerebral palsy which caused damage to his brain. The baby boy was told to have only a few months to live, but hes still alive today despite his serious physical deformities.

It was Eun-man who gave Lee motivation to be committed to embracing babies who are unwanted or abandoned because of their disabilities.

However, its certainly not an easy job to raise those kids. Some 280 volunteers visit the place to help with the children, but more support is desperately in need.

Financial difficulty poses another big burden as the place is run only by a small government stipend and offerings from local firms and private benefactors. The utmost necessity is a larger facility to house the 20 children that are too many for the current four-bedroom home.

The latest challenge the facility has been facing is a broad range of attitudes and actions critical of or opposed to the baby box.

South Korean Health and Welfare Ministry ordered the closure the baby box, saying it encourages parents to abandon their babies by providing an easy out though child abandonment is a crime in South Korea.

The ministry claims that the proper and legal way to protect abandoned babies is to report the case to have them transferred to legal facilities.

However, Lee said he cant give up the baby box.

SOUNDBITE　(KOREAN)　　LEE　JONG-RAK, PASTOR
"The government appears to be indifferent and has no countermeasures when the people are dying. Officials can say that I encourage the abandonment of babies but cant set up countermeasures. They need to do it immediately, otherwise they are neglecting their duties."

The existence of the baby box has resulted in a heated controversy over whether the pastors deed is virtuous or unethical.

SOUNDBITE　(KOREAN)　KANG　SIN-KYU,　LOCAL　RESIDENT
"The box serves as a tool used to throw away a babys life, which then is being collected again. The words sound a bit dry, but its really terrible to suggest an official way for abandoning babies. To put it simply, its a way of throwing away people. Therefore, Im really repulsed by the idea."

SOUNDBITE　(KOREAN)　YEOM　HYE-KYUNG,　LOCAL　RESIDENT
"Its something everyone has to do, but its not being easily done, not because there is no love but because its hard to come forward readily in this tough word. I think it would be even better if we could help the pastor who does such wonderful works."