"I Saw Pregnancy Badges Being Resold Online for Money" — Misuse Sparks Controversy on Subways, at Airports and in Restaurants [What Do You Think?]

[Financial News] Recently, pregnancy badges have been traded on resale platforms, fueling controversy over their misuse. The badges are increasingly being abused to use priority seats on public transportation or to receive preferential services at airports, from airlines, and at popular restaurants.

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 18th, a screenshot of a pregnancy badge being resold was posted on the social networking service Threads on June 26. The image said it was "useful when using seats reserved for pregnant women."
The user who shared the screenshot raised the issue, asking, "Are they checking whether the seller is actually pregnant?" A comment also appeared saying, "I even saw someone selling it for money on Danggeun."
An official from the childbirth policy division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare told Yonhap News Agency, "We are aware of some cases of misuse, but physical retrieval is difficult because the cost of collecting the badges is higher than the production cost." The official added, "Pregnancy consideration is a system intended to improve public awareness, so voluntary consideration from citizens and a mature sense of civic responsibility are important."
To receive the badge, a hospital-issued pregnancy diagnosis and pregnancy confirmation certificate are required. It can usually be obtained from the public health center in the district where the person lives. In some areas, it is also available at subway station offices.Since any pregnant woman can receive one, it is not something that should be bought or sold secondhand in the first place..

Pregnancy badges are sometimes given away for free on resale platforms. However, there have also been allegations that some are being traded for several thousand won to around 10,000 won, in order to obtain pregnancy-related benefits.
That is because pregnant women can receive dedicated counters and priority boarding and check-in services from major airlines and Incheon International Airport, while some hotel buffets offer discounts of 20% to 50%. Most places require additional proof such as a maternity handbook, but some accept the badge itself as verification.
In 2024, Sungsimdang, a famous bakery in Daejeon, also faced misuse after offering discounts and priority entry to pregnant women. The company later changed its policy to require additional verification documents such as a maternity handbook.
Choi Gwang-hyeon, a lawyer at Daeryun Law Firm, pointed out that "under current laws, there is no explicit provision that directly punishes the sale or purchase of pregnancy badges themselves." He added, however, that "for a non-pregnant person to present the badge as if she were pregnant constitutes legal 'deception.'"
He explained that, depending on the nature of the benefit obtained, the person could face other legal penalties, including fraud, obstruction of business, or unauthorized use of official seals or marks.
gaa1003@fnnews.com An Ga-eul Reporter