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Mon, December 11, 2023 | 21:32
Today's inter-country adoption system is not fit for purpose
I will first comment on where we are today in terms of inter-country adoption (ICA) practice at the global level, then consider our experience of the outcomes of a suspension of ICAs, and finally - in all modesty as an outsider - offer some thoughts on what the path forward for Korea might be.
Gratefulness in the eyes of an adoptee
The word “grateful” is such a small word but it can carry a significant impact. Being “grateful” for something is supposed to have a positive effect, however, society has caused me to resent the word. Adoptees tend to hear this term from strangers, acquaintances, extended family members, sometimes even their adoptive parents (mine excluded).
Court submission on responsibility to verify acquisition of citizenship of inter-country adoptees (Part 3)
Question: Does the government of the Republic of Korea owe a responsibility to adoptees to confirm whether citizenship in the receiving country was obtained after inter-country adoption?
Court submission on the 'orphan-making' process (Part 2)
In the plaintiff's case, his inter-country adoption was processed through the creation of an “abandoned child” family register, even though the agency knew and had information about his biological mother. What is the process of adopting through the “Family Registration for Orphans,” and why has it become a customary practice of adoption between the Republic of Korea and the U...
Submission to court about Korea's inter-country adoption program (Part 1)
Some of the articles of this series will dedicate space to parts of the Amicus Brief submitted to the Korean Court by Dr. Lee Kyung-eun. The Amicus Brief was written as a Q&A to assist the judges in understanding the historic meaning of this case.
Adam Crapser vs. Republic of Korea
On Jan. 24, 2019, Shin Song-hyuk (better known as Adam Crapser), internationally adopted from South Korea to the U.S., filed a petition with the Seoul Central District Court against the Korean government and Holt Children's Services Inc. for violating his rights during his adoption process. Although the plaintiff's story garnered worldwide media attention, his lawsuit represe...
Dialogues with Adoptees: Let's make adoptees' rights mainstream
In early summer of 2021, I sat with The Korea Times' digital content editor. We had met on the terrace of a small cafe in Seoul to discuss starting a new column series. That warm and sunny day stands out because it was the first moment this series' journey began.
A pillar of the Hague Adoption Convention: Shared responsibility of receiving countries
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), an intergovernmental organization facilitating cross-border cooperation in private legal matters, has been collecting the statistics of children adopted transnationally from the immigration authorities of 23 receiving countries, mainly in Western Europe, North America and Australia.
Adoption is meant to provide babies for families, not families for babies
Recently, an article was published in The Atlantic entitled, “The New Question Haunting Adoption,” in which author Olga Khazan asks the following question: “But is adoption meant to provide babies for families, or families for babies?” As an adoptee myself (adopted from Korea at three months of age), this question has been haunting me since I read this article.
I feel welcome but often rejected as adoptee in Korea. Here's what needs to change
Intercultural communication can be challenging. Honestly, no matter how hard adoptees try to re-adapt to Korean culture, we will never be entirely Korean again. Having been socialized in the West, this cultural influence dominates our behaviors.
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