logo
South Korea moves to end 'baby exports,' state to take full responsibility

South Korea moves to end 'baby exports,' state to take full responsibility

Korea Herald16-07-2025
Starting July 19, the state takes full responsibility for adoptions, ending 70 years of privately run placements
In just a few days, South Korea will officially end its decadeslong practice of allowing private agencies to handle adoptions and begin a new era in which the state takes primary responsibility for the process, grounded in public oversight and the protection of children's rights.
The shift is more than a bureaucratic change. It is a historical reckoning.
For over 70 years, beginning in the aftermath of the Korean War, South Korea sent more than 170,000 children overseas for adoption, a number some experts say is closer to 250,000 when unofficial records are considered. This made Korea one of the most prolific 'exporters' of children for adoption in the world.
Under the new system, domestic and international adoptions will be regulated separately by two new laws: the Special Act on Domestic Adoption and the Act on Intercountry Adoption. Both were passed by the National Assembly in 2023 and come into force this Saturday. With these changes, the Ministry of Health and Welfare becomes the primary authority on adoption policy, while local governments and the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) will directly oversee procedures.
'From July 19, the state, local governments and the NCRC will carry out what private adoption agencies have handled until now,' the NCRC said in a written response. 'All procedures will be based on the best interests of the child, as laid out in the Hague Adoption Convention.'
What's changing
The reforms reorganize how adoptions are handled from beginning to end, both domestically and internationally.
In domestic adoptions, local governments will identify and protect children in need of adoption before placement. Prospective adoptive parents will apply through the NCRC, which will assign certified agencies to conduct family counseling and home studies.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare's adoption policy committee will review and approve child-parent matches, with the NCRC serving as its secretariat. Courts will continue to issue final adoption approvals and now have the power to authorize temporary custody before final approval, to support early bonding.
In international adoptions, the state becomes the official 'central authority,' responsible for overseeing both outbound (Korean children abroad) and inbound (overseas children to Korea) adoptions. The Ministry of Health and Welfare negotiates procedures with other countries and monitors post-adoption welfare.
Certified agencies conduct screening and monitoring, while the courts finalize placements.
Children's participation is also newly enshrined in law. Courts must now listen to adoptees' views regardless of age, a change from the previous threshold of 13 years old.
'It's not just a system, it's our life'
While many adoptees have welcomed South Korea's adoption reform, they emphasize that for them, the issue is not just administrative — it is deeply personal.
'I think it's great to move all those files to the government,' said one adoptee who was sent to a European country as a child and requested anonymity. 'But it's not just about the files. It's about who we are. These documents are the only legacy we have from Korea.'
For many adoptees, their adoption records — sometimes just a handwritten note or an intake form from decades ago — are the only remaining link to their birth families and origins. The nationalization of adoption has meant that these records are now being transferred from private agencies to the NCRC. But the process, some say, has been opaque and confusing.
'There's real chaos in the adoptee community right now,' she said. 'We don't know what's going on with the file transfer. Are we sure they're really moving everything? Are they giving up on anything along the way? That's what we're scared of.'
'It's not just a document. It's our life. It's our only hope of finding out who we were," she emphasized.
Access to the files is also a growing issue. During the transition, adoptees have faced delays and uncertainty.
'For the past few months, we haven't been able to access anything. Not from the agencies, not from the NCRC,' she said. 'They need time to archive and organize the materials, and I understand that. But we need to be told what's happening.'
For her, the hope is that greater public awareness, stronger support systems, and more inclusive attitudes will lead to a future where children in need are embraced within Korean society.
"Korean society should see us as assets. Not discriminating (against) us by saying, 'Why don't you speak Korean?'" she added."It's not the pity look we need, we would love to hear how Korea is proud of us, how much they want us here, how much they welcome us."
Challenges ahead
Despite the milestone reform, structural and logistical challenges loom large.
As of mid-2025, the state has received original documents from only four major adoption agencies. Records held by many child welfare institutions remain unaccounted for. Even among those received, secure and permanent storage remains a challenge.
The NCRC had requested 2.4 billion won this year to establish proper storage facilities, but only 1.78 billion won was approved. A temporary archive has been established controversially, in a former logistics warehouse near Goyang's Jichuk Station.
'It's painful to hear that adoptees' documents, these irreplaceable pieces of their identity, are sitting in a remote warehouse with poor transportation access,' said Hellen Noh, professor emeritus of social welfare at Soongsil University.
The government has pledged to build a permanent adoption archive in the future, but no timeline has been announced. Meanwhile, access to records remains heavily restricted.
Under current law, adoptees may only obtain personal information about birth parents if the parents are deceased and the request meets a narrowly defined medical or legal threshold.
A constitutional review is now underway on whether such limits violate adoptees' right to know their origins.
'Adoption must be the last resort'
For Professor Noh, the deeper issue is not how well the adoption system works but how little is done to prevent the need for adoption in the first place.
'Adoption is not the solution we should be working toward,' she said. 'What we need to build is a society where every family, regardless of its form, has the support to raise their own children.'
She pointed to the legacy of coercion and profit in South Korea's international adoption system. 'Too many children were sent abroad not because it was best for them, but because it sustained institutions and made money,' she said. 'That must never happen again.'
She also underscored the need for support services for struggling families, including single parents, disabled caregivers and low-income households, so that children are not separated due to poverty or stigma.
'If a child can grow up safely and lovingly in their birth family, that's what should happen,' she said. 'Only when that is impossible, and I mean truly impossible, should adoption be considered.'
South Korea, she added, must also confront its social biases. 'When a single mother wants to raise her child, she's often called selfish. There's no celebration, only shame. That has to change.'
The shift to public adoption coincides with South Korea's long-delayed ratification of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, which is expected to take effect in late October.
The convention, adopted globally in 1993, seeks to prevent child trafficking and ensure ethical standards in international adoptions. Korea had joined the treaty in 2013 but failed to ratify it due to misalignment with domestic law, a gap now being closed through the 2023 legislation.
Still, the road ahead is uncertain. Many of the reforms will require further legislative action and budgetary support under the new administration following the June 3 presidential election.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

National security adviser meets visiting US representatives ahead of Lee-Trump summit
National security adviser meets visiting US representatives ahead of Lee-Trump summit

Korea Herald

time7 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

National security adviser meets visiting US representatives ahead of Lee-Trump summit

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lak met with two visiting US Representatives on Tuesday and discussed ways to bolster industrial cooperation and the alliance between the two nations, the presidential office said. Wi met Rep. Beth Van Duyne and Rep. Richard McCormick, as President Lee Jae Myung is preparing to hold his first summit with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Aug. 25. He highlighted that Korean companies have been investing in strategic sectors, such as semiconductors and automotive batteries, in their districts of Texas and Georgia, asking for their support to further advance the bilateral alliance and industrial cooperation for "win-win" outcomes, the office said in a release. Samsung Electronics has been building a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor, Texas. Hyundai Motor Group is constructing a new electric vehicle plant in Georgia and partnering with Korean battery maker SK On to build a battery plant there, in addition to SK On's two battery plants in the state. Wi expressed his expectation that Lee and Trump will reaffirm the strong alliance and have in-depth discussions on ways to advance it, and the two lawmakers pledged their full support for a successful summit, the office said. Van Duyne and McCormick also promised to support further US investments by Korean companies to strengthen economic cooperation and pledged to work together for bipartisan support in Congress for the Korea-US alliance, it noted. (Yonhap)

Lee voices hope to open door to dialogue with N. Korea as Pyongyang begins removing some loudspeakers
Lee voices hope to open door to dialogue with N. Korea as Pyongyang begins removing some loudspeakers

Korea Herald

time8 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Lee voices hope to open door to dialogue with N. Korea as Pyongyang begins removing some loudspeakers

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday voiced hope for opening the door to dialogue with North Korea, after South Korea's military said the North has begun dismantling some of its own propaganda loudspeakers on the inter-Korean border. "We have been recently dismantling our loudspeakers along the border and I understand the North has also removed some of its loudspeakers, though I am not certain if it is complete," Lee told a Cabinet meeting. "I hope such reciprocal measures will gradually lead to dialogue and communication" between the two Koreas, Lee said, according to the presidential office. Lee said inter-Korean ties will "shift from a relationship that causes harm to each other to one that is mutually beneficial," although Pyongyang has shown little sign of resuming talks with Seoul. In response to Pyongyang's repeated launch of trash-carrying balloons across the heavily fortified border, Seoul resumed the loudspeaker campaign for the first time in six years in June last year after conducting it on an on-and-off basis following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in 2016. After taking office in June, Lee ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts as part of efforts to mend strained ties with Pyongyang. In less than two months, South Korea's military dismantled about 20 fixed speakers installed in the front-line areas. Late last week, the military said North Korea has also begun dismantling some of its loudspeakers along the border. During the Cabinet meeting, Lee also reiterated his criticism of repeated fatal industrial accidents, calling them "murder by willful negligence" or "social homicide." "We should regularly inspect workplaces and take strict measures if the necessary safety measures are not in place," Lee said, urging authorities to take the most stringent action possible within the law. Lee has repeatedly called for stronger safety measures and tougher punishment for violators during his first two months in office to root out recurring fatal industrial accidents.

Korea Inc. ramps up Vietnam investments on stronger ties
Korea Inc. ramps up Vietnam investments on stronger ties

Korea Herald

time11 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Korea Inc. ramps up Vietnam investments on stronger ties

Seoul, Hanoi pledge deeper cooperation in high-tech, energy, supply chains, targeting $150b trade by 2030 South Korean and Vietnamese business and government leaders vowed to bolster cooperation in high-tech sectors, supply chains and energy, as both countries look to navigate mounting geopolitical tensions and protectionist trade policies. The commitment was made during the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum held Tuesday at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with South Korea's trade ministry, the Vietnamese embassy and Vietnam's finance ministry. It was organized to mark General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam's visit to Korea, the first time Vietnam's top leader had traveled here in 11 years. 'The domestic and global environment facing both countries today is not easy,' Chey Tae-won, chair of KCCI and SK Group, said in his opening remarks at the forum. 'The spread of protectionism, such as the US imposing reciprocal tariffs, and rising geopolitical conflicts have increased uncertainty in the global economy, while existing growth models are reaching their limits.' Chey stressed that such crises "cannot be overcome by the strength of one country alone," calling for 'solidarity and cooperation with trustworthy partners to make a breakthrough.' 'The two countries are optimal partners in times of crisis,' he said, highlighting digital and high-tech industries, supply chains and energy as four key areas where the two countries can cooperate. In response, Vietnam Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said Vietnam and South Korea are nations with 'similar cultures and strategic partners that are key components of regional and global value chains.' 'The Vietnamese government welcomes South Korean companies to expand not only in Vietnam but also into third markets with us, and we are ready to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation, pledging support for large-scale joint projects. Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok attended the forum, as well as about 300 corporate leaders, including Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee, SK Innovation CEO Choo Hyeong-wook, LG CNS President Hyun Shin-gyoon and Lotte Shopping CEO Chung Jooon-ho. Some 200 Vietnamese officials and business leaders were also present, including Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Petrovietnam Chair Le Manh Hung, Viettel chair and CEO Tao Duc Thang and Military Bank Chair Luu Trung Thai, among others. Trade between the two countries has expanded from $500 million when diplomatic ties were established in 1992 to $86.7 billion in 2024. At a summit held Monday, the leaders of Korea and Vietnam agreed to reach $150 billion by 2030. Vietnam is now the third-largest trading partner for South Korea after China and the US, while South Korea maintains its No. 3 position with Vietnam. Seoul is also the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with cumulative investment totaling $92.5 billion and about 10,000 South Korean companies operating in the country. On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted a state dinner to welcome General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam, reiterating expanded cooperation in high-tech energy and infrastructure projects between the two countries. More than 120 senior officials and executives from major Korean conglomerates with significant operations in Vietnam attended the dinner at Cheong Wa Dae, which was previously the presidential residence. They include SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chair Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chair Shin Dong-bin and Daewoo Engineering and Construction Chair Jung Won-ju. South Korea's major conglomerates have poured billions of dollars into Vietnam over the past decade, relying on it as a critical partner in their industrial supply chain. Samsung Electronics, which manufactures around half of all its smartphones in the country, has invested $23.2 billion since it started investing in Vietnam in 2008 and employs a workforce of over 90,000 people. Samsung, as the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam, said it will expand investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, as well as Vietnam's digital transformation. LG Group also has a significant presence in Vietnam, with its total investment reaching $8.24 billion in 2024 primarily through its subsidiaries LG Electronics, LG Display and LG Innotek that have their facilities in the Haiphong region. LG Display recently announced an additional $1 billion investment aimed at boosting OLED manufacturing capabilities at its Haiphong facility. Daewoo E&C is also broadening its property development activities and investment portfolio across Vietnam, building on the success of its major township development, Starlake City in Hanoi. The construction company is leading multiple ventures, including a joint $900 million hydropower project with Vietnamese developer TTA, while also planning a $390 million investment in a new urban development project in Thai Binh province.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store