How To Use NCRC For Birth Family Search.

Important Note: Please be sure to read this entire page, and especially be sure to watch the video linked at the bottom of this page.

*While this website is mostly geared toward Adoptees who were adopted through the Korean Adoption Agency Korea Social Service (KSS), there is also information here which is relevant to ALL Korean Adoptees, regardless of their Korean Adoption Agency. Please read carefully to note what info. is purely relevant to KSS Adoptees and what is generally relevant to ALL Korean Adoptees.

The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) in Korea assists Korean Adoptees only after a Korean Adoptee has exhausted all possible options for Birth Family Search through her or his Korean Adoption Agency (in this case, KSS).

Please Note: NCRC assists Korean Adoptees regardless of her or his Korean Adoption Agency. Even if you are not from KSS, NCRC can assist in your Birth Family Search by corresponding with your Korean Adoption Agency.

KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY should initiate a Birth Family Search through KSS FIRST, BEFORE contacting NCRC.

Before contacting NCRC, KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY must FIRST initiate a birth family search through KSS. Not only is this the required procedure of KSS and NCRC, but also, by officially requesting and receiving your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary from KSS, you will be triggering an official process which leads to a birth family search through NCRC. Once KSS provides you with your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, you should ask them to initiate a birth family search through NCRC. (KSS should offer to help you to begin this process with NCRC, but does not always do so. You can simply email KSS to ask them to help you begin the birth family search process with NCRC. KSS should send you some forms to fill out). Learn how to request your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary through KSS here.

Important Note: Please do NOT initiate a Birth Family Search through KSS if you are NOT a KSS Adoptee.

You should initiate a Birth Family Search through your own Korean Adoption Agency - the major ones were Holt Korea, ESWS, SWS (now KWS) and KSS.

If you are not sure of your Korean or US Adoption Agencies, and you are a US Adoptee, you can file a FOIA request. If you are a European Adoptee, your K-Number style may indicate which Korean Agency you were through. Please contact us for more info.

Please do not contact NCRC until after you have tried everything that you can in terms of Birth Family Search with KSS (or your Korean Adoption Agency) first. If you initiate a Birth Family Search through NCRC prior to initiating a Birth Family Search with KSS (or your Korean Adoption Agency), KSS (or your Korean Adoption Agency) may decline to help you.

If you have exhausted all possible options with KSS (or your Korean Adoption Agency), you can initiate a Birth Family Search through NCRC via the KAS (Korean Adoption Service) website here.

NCRC has just 3 Birth Family Search workers for adult Overseas Korean Adoptees, and Korean Adoptees have reported issues with the website functionality many times.

IMPORTANT! Please be sure to watch this video from KAS about how to start a Birth Family Search directly with NCRC. (KAS is the former NCRC).

Download this NCRC PDF form about Tracing Your Origin.

*Please note that NCRC may be much more responsive to your requests when you are physically in Korea. You may need to take a translator for your visit. You can email them to set up an appointment:

NCRC Address in Seoul:

https://www.ncrc.or.kr/ncrc_en/cm/cntnts/cntntsView.do?mi=1227&cntntsId=1215

KAS, NCRC

6th Floor, G Tower,

71, Sambong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03150

NCRC Email: familysearch@ncrc.or.kr

Here is what the NCRC building looks like on Google Maps

The building is identifiable as:

Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun ????? ???

*Please do not frivolously email / contact NCRC as they only have a few Birth Family Search workers to handle all adult international adoption cases. You may only hear back from NCRC a few times, so make your emails to them matter. Organize what you are requesting from them in advance.