Korean adoptees worldwide are grappling with a devastating possibility: they were not truly orphans, but may have been made into orphans.

For decades, adoptees were told they were “abandoned”, “rescued” or “unwanted”. Many were told their Korean families were too “poor” or “incapable” to raise them – and they should only ever feel grateful for being adopted.

But these long-held stories are now under scrutiny.

Our recent research interrogates the narratives that have obscured the darker realities of intercountry adoption. Rather than viewing adoption solely through the lens of “rescue”, our work examines the broader power structures that facilitated the mass migration of Korean children to western countries, including Australia.

South Korea’s reckoning with its adoption history

Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirms human rights violations,
including false records of missing children as orphans by omission of parental consent by brokerage agencies , and first acknowledges the issue of state responsibility Insufficient data to find roots Even if an adoptee with a rare ankle disease needs genetic information from their family history, it cannot be disclosed without the consent of their biological parents The government must first issue a sincere apology and correct errors in adoption records to restore family reunions










 

May 11th is 'Adoption Day'. According to the Special Act on the Promotion and Procedure of Adoption revised in 2005, it became a legal commemorative day the following year to establish adoption culture and promote domestic adoption. The day before, the 10th, is also a legal commemorative day, 'Single-parent Family Day', which was established in accordance with the Single-parent Family Support Act revised in 2018 to increase public understanding and interest in single-parent families and to break down prejudice. Although it is not widely known, civic groups that opposed the establishment of Adoption Day played a major role until the government commemorated Single-parent Family Day.

The non-profit organization Root House, which has been advocating for the rights of overseas adoptees for 22 years, has been at the forefront. The organization's co-representative, Kim Do-hyun, pointed out, "(At the time of the establishment of Adoption Day), the Roh Moo-hyun administration was immersed in the romantic idea that if they increased domestic adoptions through campaigns, overseas adoptions, which were criticized domestically and internationally, would disappear," and "In reality, overseas adoptions have never decreased because of domestic adoptions." He criticized, “The purpose of establishing Adoption Day is flawed and its policy goals have never been achieved, but the government does not accept this reality. Every year, the Prime Minister comes out and gives awards to adoptive parents and adoption agencies at a large hotel attended by 2,000 to 3,000 people, saying, ‘Domestic adoption is a beautiful thing, so please participate.’”

Since 2011, Roots House, together with overseas adoption organizations, birth family groups, and the Unwed Mothers' Family Association, has independently declared May 11th as "Single Moms' Day" and has held international conferences in the National Assembly for nine years, ending in 2019, to raise our voices in minimizing child adoption. Ultimately, Representative Kim said that the government also designated Single-Parent Family Day right before Adoption Day, meaning that it should first focus on social reconstruction so that birth mothers and children are not separated.

 

Six adopted children, once trapped, are now safely home with their American parents through private rescue efforts—while many others remain stranded in Haiti amid worsening violence and a lack of support from government authorities.

Grey Bull Rescue’s staff members and two American adoptive families pictured after landing at the Tampa International Airport with two 6-year-old adopted girls from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 30, 2025. Photo Credit: Adoptive families.

Overview:

Agartala: A few-days-old infant was rescued from Khowai hours after she was handed over to a childless couple by her biological parents in lieu of alleged pecuniary benefits, sources in the police department said. 

The shocking incident occurred at Katlamara hospital where the baby girl was born. However, due to the timely intervention of the police, the baby was rescued. 

The biological parents of the baby hail from the Katacherra area of Simna Assembly constituency. 

According to police sources, the child's parents had been struggling to make two square meals. 

They took the decision to ensure that the baby gets a good life. Admitting the fact that they had allowed a family to adopt their baby, the biological mother of the child, Laxmi Rani Sarkar (Das), said, 

While there was a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest official data, there has been a continued positive trend, with record 4,515 child adoptions in FY 2024-25, the highest since 2015-16.

A couple from Arizona, USA adopted a 15-month-old baby from Dhanbad in Jharkhand. Credit: iStock Photo New Delhi: Neeraj's (name changed) note to his mother was simple yet profound: "I love you Mom because you take me out to play." Neeraj's words have been the culmination of a journey that began four years earlier, when he was born with a condition called "knock knees" and left at a Child Care Institution just a day old. He was put up for adoption, and for years, families hesitated, often discouraged by his medical condition.

2021, when a couple saw him not as a problem to be solved, but as "their child." Since then, Neeraj's life has transformed. His new parents enrolled him in swimming lessons to help with his legs, took him for regular check-ups, and showered him with love. Today, he is thriving, learning to swim, acting in school plays, and mastering parkour

Neeraj's journey is not an isolated one 

In India, there has been a noticeable surge in adoption numbers over the past decade, with their number increasing from 3,677 in 2015-16 to 4,027 in 2018-19.
While there was a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest ofcial data, there has been a continued positive trend, with record 4,515 child adoptions in FY 2024-25, the highest since 2015-16

As of the current nancial year, 420 children have already been adopted from the Orphan/Abandoned/Surrendered (OAS) category.

Of these, 342 children were adopted by Resident Indian (RI) parents, eight by Non-Resident Indians (NRI), six by Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), and 11 by foreigners.

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Alappuzha has rescued a newborn boy after uncovering an illegal adoption arrangement involving a woman who allegedly handed over her baby to a childless couple in Muhamma.

According to Alappuzha CWC chairperson G. Vasanthakumari, the woman, a native of Alappuzha and married with three children, gave birth to the baby on February 25 at the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam. Conceived through an extramarital affair, she had kept the pregnancy secret from her family. "The woman, reportedly working in the UAE, returned to Kerala solely for the delivery. She was accompanied at the hospital by another person, believed to be the woman from Muhamma who later took custody of the baby," said Vasanthakumari.

After the birth, she briefly returned to her home in Alappuzha while the couple took the newborn to their residence in Muhamma. The case came to light on March 7 when an Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supervisor from Muhamma reported the suspected illegal adoption to the authorities. The District Child Protection Unit launched an inquiry, and the CWC summoned both parties. Officials explained the legal consequences, urging the mother to either raise the child herself or allow the CWC to take custody.

She initially agreed to take the child back. "However, a follow-up revealed that the child had been handed over to the couple again. After a second round of counselling, the mother once more promised to care for the child. Yet, the pattern repeated, and the child was transferred to the couple a third time," Vasanthakumari added.

This is the story of Princess Victoria Gouramma, the princess of Coorg, who was deposed by the British. Her story is not just a footnote of colonial history. It is a reminder of resilience, heartbreak, and a young girl’s fight for belonging in a world that was never ready to fully accept her. 

On a rainy spring morning of 1852, a usual day for Londoners, when they suddenly gathered curiously around the docs as an unusual figure stepped ashore. She was clad in a simple silk robe, a 11-year-old girl, with dusky skin, solemn eyes, steps down as she clutches her father's hand.

She was Princess Gouramma of Coorg. She was a royal from India, which was now annexed under the British rule. Beside her was her father, the deposed King Chikavira Rajendra, who hope for justice from the Queen of England. Little did they know that the little girl, bright and eager, was about to be swept into the heart of British royalty, which would turn into a lifetime of quiet battles against prejudice, loneliness, and betrayal.

In the pages of history as we go along adopting, acknowledging and embracing new curriculum, there are often stories that we continue to ignore. Princess Gouramma's story is also one such forgotten story, however, it continues to hold the haunting mirror which reflects even what royals like Meghan Markle may have faced centuries later. Princess Gouramma's life shows that even when the British monarchy embraced a person of colour, the acceptance was only skin-deep.

A Royal Arrival, A New Identity

In India, adoption has witnessed a significant transformation, driven by government initiatives like those of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). In the financial year 2024-25, a record 4,515 legal adoptions were recorded, showcasing the growing societal shift towards open-hearted, legal adoptions and offering hope to many children in need of a loving home......

Sometimes, love comes looking for you, even when you least expect it. 

Little Moksh, left at a Child Care Institution just one day after he was born, had no way of knowing that his life was about to become a beautiful story of hope and belonging. 

Moksh was born with a condition called knock knees, where his legs bent inward. For four long years, he watched families walk past him. Some paused, some smiled, but most moved on once they saw the mention of his condition on the papers. For Moksh, every passing face was a silent goodbye. 

But in 2021, everything changed. Amidst the fear and distance brought by COVID-19, a couple saw him not his diagnosis, not his “defects,” but simply, their son. 

Even though the pandemic delayed the adoption process, they refused to give up. From afar, they told him bedtime stories over video calls, made him laugh through screens, and promised they would be together soon. 

PATHANAMTHITTA: Two years ago, baby Niket was fighting for survival, having been found abandoned by his biological parents. Today, he is nestled in the arms of his adoptive parents in Italy, in a early-life story that has come to embody resilience and unconditional love.

Niket’s journey of acceptance began on April 4, 2023 in Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, where he was discovered in a bucket in front of a house. After giving birth to him at home, his mother sought medical attention at a hospital in Chengannur due to excessive bleeding.

The mother informed authorities that she had delivered a stillborn baby. However, police became suspicious when they received information of the abandoned infant, weighing just 1.3 kg. and rushed him to Kottayam Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The intervention by police officers, which ended up by saving the child’s life, came for high praise. A video showing a cop running to a hospital carrying the bucket with the child in it had then gone viral.

Chengannur sub-inspector M C Abhilash, who carried the infant to safety, recalled the emotional moment. “We just wanted to save his life. Seeing him in safe hands now fills my heart with joy,” said Abhilash, who is now circle inspector with Venmony police station.

The Overseas Koreans Agency (Director Lee Sang-deok) will hold its first policy discussion meeting tomorrow (the 29th) to discuss ways to support the domestic settlement of adoptive Koreans.

 This event, co-hosted with the Overseas Korean Adoption Association, was prepared as a follow-up measure to the 'Adoption Counseling Center' opened by the Overseas Koreans Office last month.

Approximately 60 domestic and international adoptees and experts, including Seodaemun-gu Mayor Lee Seong-heon, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Population and Children's Policy Director Kim Sang-hee, and Overseas Koreans

' Counselor Yoo Jae-hoon, will participate in the meeting to discuss adoption policies and business directions and seek field-centered support measures. In addition, the meeting will feature presentations on various topics related to adoptees, such as '

Overseas Koreans Office's dedicated window operation cases and this year's promotion plan for adoptees' and 'The Child Rights Protection Agency's family search project.' Overseas Koreans Office Director Lee Sang-deok stated that this meeting is an opportunity to listen to the real difficulties of adoptees and to discover and promote policies and projects for adoptees and their children, and that he will continue to provide effective support for adoptees.