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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

“My Children Weren't Abandoned, They Were Stolen”: Mothers Demand Truth on Forced Overseas Adoptions

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Five mothers whose children were forcibly adopted overseas have submitted truth commission applications, seeking to uncover the circumstances of their children's separation.
  • They allege their children were not abandoned but 'stolen' through kidnapping, fraudulent documents, deception, and coercion into relinquishing parental rights.
  • The mothers demand a state investigation, official apology, assistance in family reunions, and a comprehensive review of overseas adoptions conducted without parental consent.

On the occasion of Parents' Day, a group of mothers gathered to voice their anguish and demand justice for children forcibly separated from them and sent abroad for adoption. Their plea, directed at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is a powerful testament to the enduring pain caused by state-sanctioned practices that treated children as commodities.

My child wasn't abandoned; she was stolen. I wanted to tell her I'm sorry... but I couldn't.

— Lee Ae-ri-naA mother whose daughter was forcibly adopted overseas expressed her grief and the circumstances of her separation.

These mothers, who have carried the burden of loss for decades, reject the narrative that their children were simply 'abandoned.' Instead, they assert that these children were 'stolen' – victims of a system that employed kidnapping, forged documents, and outright deception. The forced relinquishment of parental rights further compounds the trauma, leaving mothers heartbroken and children unaware of their true origins.

Who abandons their child? The country must take responsibility and compensate the adoptees and their families.

— Kim Eun-soonA mother whose son disappeared and was adopted overseas demanded accountability from the state.

The testimonies shared are harrowing. One mother recounts being told her infant daughter had died, only to later discover she had been sent overseas for adoption. Another describes her sons vanishing from their doorstep, only to be adopted abroad under fabricated identities. These stories illustrate a pattern of systemic abuse where vulnerable families were exploited, and children were trafficked under the guise of adoption.

The children were not abandoned; they were plundered. Mothers lost their children, and the children lived their lives thinking they were abandoned or met tragic deaths.

— Statement by MothersThe mothers emphasized the violent nature of the separations in their statement.

Their demands are clear: a thorough investigation into these past injustices, a formal apology from the government, support for family reunification, and a complete audit of overseas adoptions. This fight for truth and reconciliation is not just about reclaiming lost identities; it is about holding accountable those who profited from or facilitated the separation of families and ensuring such atrocities are never repeated.

Lack of records is not proof of legality. It could rather be evidence of fabrication and concealment.

— Mothers' GroupThe mothers criticized adoption agencies for unclear record-keeping, suggesting it hides wrongdoing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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