Ko Root

31/07/2025

Invitation to international adoption conference in Seoul

On September 10 and 11, 2025, a conference will be held on the situation of adoptees after the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission has issued its first conclusions and rulings on international adoptions from Korea under the title:

"The 3rd Adoption Truth Day International Conference - Truth and Reconciliation Now And the Way Forward, "

The first day of the conference will review the Truth Commission's conclusions and rulings with an insight into the investigation and the important findings that the commission has made through the investigation.

This will be done with the participation of the most central actors from the commission - the chairman of Sub-Commission 2, Commissioner Lee Sang Hyun, as well as the investigators from the commission.

The second day of the conference will focus on the way forward. How are the commission's conclusions translated into concrete change for adoptees, and about adoptees' challenges in obtaining information about their background and origins.,

If you are in Seoul, you can register for the conference already now via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7kixMZic21C7NG0ZmJ3QSoGt8YvdEPyQLfVRzDfgglKrvMw/viewform?usp=header

By registering, you will receive additional material from us.

In the period leading up to and after the conference, there will also be activities for adoptees. You will also receive information about this when registering for the conference.

This registration is for the physical participation in the conference, which will take place in the Korean Parliament. Registration for online participation will be sent out later.

The deadline for registration is August 15, 2025.

This is the application form for participation in the "Adoption Truth Day International Conference - Truth and Reconciliation Now And the Way Forward".The conference will be held on 10 and 11 September 2025 at the Korean Parliament in Seoul, South Korea. There are limited places and therefore this r...

14/06/2025

One In An ARMY – thank you 💜

Your campaign has touched us deeply here at KoRoot. We never expected such incredible generosity, kindness, and warmth — not just in donations, but in the love behind them.

Dear ARMY 💜
At KoRoot, we’re honestly at a loss for words. The warmth and support you’ve shown us this past week has completely taken us by surprise — in the most beautiful way.

Your campaign came out of nowhere, and the selflessness, love, and solidarity you’ve shown for Korean adoptees is something we’re simply not used to. The amount raised is incredible — but just as powerful has been the love pouring in from around the world.

Adoptees from across the globe have told us how deeply your support has moved them. The fact that it came from you — from ARMY — means the world to so many. Some have told us it feels like things have come “full circle”:
We were born in Korea and sent all over the world. BTS was born in Korea and brought the world together.
Now ARMY has reached back to us — and we feel seen, embraced, and loved.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/188RCtx9Br/

From the bottom of our hearts, here in Korea: THANK YOU. 💜

10/06/2025

ARMY 💜 Please see the sincere thanks Peter, from Ko Root , has shared to all of us 💜

🔗 https://oneinanarmy.org/reunitewithbts-shared-stories/ #003

Donate: bit.ly/ReuniteWithBTS
Form: bit.ly/ReuniteWithBTSForm

06/06/2025

Under the hashtag , BTS's fan community One In An ARMY has independently launched a fundraiser in support of KoRoot, to help us continue our mission and work on behalf of adoptees around the world.

We are deeply moved that BTS fans and people across the globe have been following our fight for truth and reconciliation for adoptees and our families.

At KoRoot, all donations received will go directly towards reuniting adoptees and birth families with their missing loved ones. Many were abducted, stolen, falsely declared dead — and all were sent abroad with forged documents that concealed their true origins or identities.

Dear One In An ARMY and BTS fans!
Your support and solidarity warm our hearts and give us strength and motivation in our work❤️🇰🇷

06/06/2025

Swedish Commission Uncovers Adoption Irregularities in South Korea

On June 2, 2025, a Swedish commission released a groundbreaking report detailing serious irregularities in international adoptions from South Korea to Sweden. The investigation, launched in 2021, found that many children were adopted without proper parental consent, and adoption documents often contained incorrect details about the child’s identity.

Sweden has adopted nearly 10,000 children from South Korea since the 1960s, making it one of the largest recipients of South Korean adoptees. However, the commission’s findings indicate that Swedish authorities failed to scrutinize adoption procedures adequately, relying on South Korean documentation that sometimes misclassified children as orphans despite having living parents.

The report highlights that private adoption agencies in South Korea controlled the entire adoption process, from counseling mothers to obtaining consent, without independent oversight. This structure created significant risks of misconduct, including falsified records and coerced adoptions. Investigators found confirmed cases of child trafficking in every decade from the 1970s to the 2000s, involving multiple countries, including South Korea.

The commission has recommended that Sweden formally apologize to adoptees and their families and strengthen oversight of international adoptions to prevent future irregularities. The findings have sparked renewed discussions on adoption ethics and Sweden’s responsibility in ensuring transparent and lawful adoption practices.

This report is a wake-up call for adoption policies worldwide. Should Sweden take further action?

05/06/2025

We need your help!

We have been contacted by a Korean birth family who are searching for an adopted woman who was sent to the United States.

We are looking for an adoptee who originally had the Korean name Kim Mi Jin (surname: Kim).

The adoptee was adopted by an American soldier who was serving in the U.S. Army as an infantryman. The soldier visited the orphanage where the adoptee was staying, became very fond of her, and decided to adopt her. He brought her back with him to the United States. We are in possession of the adoptee’s full background story, which we are willing to share with the correct person. We can say, however, that the adoptee was not placed in the orphanage with the intention of being adopted.

According to the adoptee’s official records (including the hojuk, or Korean family registry), she is listed as being born on 16 April 1965.

However, this is not her actual date of birth. It is the date recorded in her official documents, and that is why we are sharing this specific date – in the hope that the adoptee might recognise it as the one she knows.

We have the adoptee’s genuine personal documents (including her hojuk), which the Korean birth family have given us permission to disclose to the adoptee. We have also been granted permission to publish photos of the adoptee in the hope of locating the person the family has been seeking.

The adoptee departed Korea on 15 September 1969 for the United States and is believed to have arrived there shortly thereafter.

The orphanage was called 주내 자육원 in Korean, which can be translated as Junae Orphanage or Junae Children’s Home. It has since been converted into a care facility for people with disabilities, located at: 69, Soolihol-ro 1333beon-gil, Beopwon-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. This is in a small town called Beopwon-eup, near the city of Paju, close to the DMZ.

We have received reports of harsh treatment at the orphanage, which may have left lasting memories for the adoptee, who was five years old at the time of her adoption. The Korean birth family have carried this concern with them for over 40 years as they have searched in vain for her.

Some of the information we have may be distressing, and the adoptee may have felt discarded or forgotten – but that is absolutely not the case.

The adoptee’s sister told us that they have been searching for over four decades, holding onto the humble hope of seeing her just once more in this lifetime.

Please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

04/06/2025

Criminal Complaint Filed in South Korea on Adoption Fraud!

The South Korean NGO KoRoot and the Danish rights organization Danish Korean Rights Group are calling for an investigation into shocking evidence of child abduction, falsified death certificates, and manipulated adoption records.

📜 Background In at least two cases, children were unlawfully removed from their biological families under false pretenses and declared dead. They were later adopted internationally through a specific Korean agency. Evidence suggests systematic violations of the law and severe human rights abuses.

⚖️ What Happens Next? KoRoot and Danish Korean Rights Group have requested that South Korean authorities conduct a full criminal investigation, prosecute those responsible, and provide compensation to the victims.

🌍 Why It Matters? This case shines a light on a dark chapter of international adoption, raising critical questions about whether similar practices have occurred systematically for decades. It marks an important moment in the fight for adoptee rights and justice for biological families.

➡️ Help Us Spread Awareness Share, comment, and support the call for fairness and transparency in adoption cases. Justice knows no borders.

04/06/2025

“Korean Adoptions Were Not What We Thought: Troubling Revelations from Brothers Home, Huimangwon, and the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission”

For decades, international adoptions from South Korea were widely regarded as a benevolent solution for orphaned or abandoned children, offering them new families abroad and brighter futures. However, recent investigations, notably the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) groundbreaking report, have profoundly challenged this optimistic narrative — especially concerning institutions like Brothers Home and Huimangwon.

Brothers Home and Huimangwon: Central Figures in the Adoption Landscape
Brothers Home and Huimangwon were among the most prominent orphanages and child welfare institutions involved in the placement of Korean children for international adoption, particularly during the late 20th century. These institutions operated in a system marked by minimal regulation and oversight, where the growing demand for adoptable children abroad often overshadowed ethical considerations and the rights of birth families.

Troubling Patterns Unearthed by the Korean TRC
The Korean TRC’s report highlights systemic issues within the adoption processes connected to Brothers Home and Huimangwon:

Coercion and Lack of Proper Consent: Many children sent abroad were separated from their birth families without clear or voluntary consent. In numerous cases, birth parents were misinformed or pressured to relinquish their children due to poverty, social stigma, or institutional practices.

Document Manipulation: Brothers Home and Huimangwon were implicated in the falsification of documents, including birth certificates and adoption papers. This practice deliberately obscured children’s identities and origins, complicating adoptees’ later efforts to uncover their histories.

Institutional Failures: The TRC report criticises these institutions for prioritising international adoption placements over the welfare and rights of children and families. Oversight mechanisms were either absent or ineffective, enabling unethical practices to persist.

Psychological and Social Impact: Many adoptees linked to these institutions have reported profound identity struggles and emotional trauma, compounded by the lack of transparency and access to truthful information about their backgrounds.

Broader Context: A Systemic Issue, Not an Isolated Incident
The problems associated with Brothers Home and Huimangwon are symptomatic of wider systemic failures in Korea’s international adoption framework. The TRC’s investigation reveals that these institutions operated within a culture that commodified children for adoption, sometimes at the expense of ethical standards and human rights.

This systemic nature was compounded by international demand and the involvement of overseas adoption agencies, creating a transnational network where accountability was diffuse and often lacking.

Recommendations and Path Forward
In its conclusions, the Korean TRC calls for urgent reforms to address the legacy of Brothers Home, Huimangwon, and similar institutions:

Comprehensive Review and Transparency: A full public review of adoption records related to these institutions should be undertaken, with information made accessible to adoptees and birth families.

Legal Accountability: Those involved in unethical practices, including falsification of documents or coercion, should face investigation and appropriate legal consequences.

Support for Adoptees and Birth Families: Enhanced psychological, social, and legal support services are essential to help affected individuals reconcile with their past and rebuild connections.

Reparations and Reconciliation: The TRC advocates for formal government apologies and reconciliation programmes aimed at healing the wounds caused by these adoption practices.

International Implications and Continuing Dialogue
The revelations surrounding Brothers Home and Huimangwon echo similar findings in other countries receiving Korean adoptees, such as Sweden and the United States, where parallel investigations have uncovered comparable issues. These cross-border concerns underscore the importance of international cooperation in addressing the consequences of past adoption practices and ensuring ethical standards going forward.

Conclusion: Rewriting the Story of Korean Adoption
The Korean TRC’s report fundamentally challenges the previously accepted narrative of international adoption as an unambiguously positive humanitarian act. Institutions like Brothers Home and Huimangwon are now under scrutiny for their role in a system fraught with ethical breaches and human suffering.

This new understanding calls for accountability, transparency, and compassion — not only to honour the experiences of adoptees and birth families but also to reshape future adoption policies in a manner that truly respects children’s rights and dignity.

04/06/2025

Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report Reveals Deep Flaws in International Adoption Practices – Critical Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations

The South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has recently published a landmark report addressing the complex and often troubling history of international adoptions from Korea. After years of meticulous investigation, testimonies, and archival research, the report exposes systemic issues within the adoption framework that have had profound effects on thousands of Korean-born adoptees, their birth families, and the institutions involved.

Background and Mandate of the Korean TRC
Established to investigate historical injustices and human rights violations during the 20th century in South Korea, the TRC has included international adoption as one of its key focus areas. The Commission’s mandate was to uncover truth, facilitate healing, and promote reconciliation regarding adoption practices that have been heavily criticised both domestically and internationally.

The TRC gathered testimony from hundreds of adoptees, birth parents, social workers, government officials, and representatives from adoption agencies. It examined documents from orphanages, adoption agencies, and government archives to understand how international adoptions were conducted, and to what extent they complied with ethical and legal standards.

Critical Findings: Systemic Failures and Ethical Breaches
The report highlights numerous critical failings in the adoption system spanning several decades, from the 1950s onward:

Coerced or Deceptive Child Removal: Many children were separated from their birth families without fully informed consent. In some cases, birth parents were misled about the nature of adoption or pressured to relinquish their children, often under distressing social or economic circumstances.

Document Falsification and Identity Manipulation: The Commission uncovered widespread practices of falsifying birth certificates, creating false identities, and obscuring the origins of children to facilitate adoption abroad. This deliberate concealment complicated adoptees’ later efforts to trace their biological heritage.

Lack of Oversight and Accountability: Adoption agencies and institutions frequently operated without adequate supervision. The absence of transparent regulatory frameworks enabled unethical practices to persist unchecked, undermining the rights and welfare of children.

Insufficient Post-Adoption Support: Many adoptees reported a lack of access to information about their background and minimal psychosocial support, exacerbating feelings of loss, identity confusion, and psychological distress.

Institutional Failures: The report critiques government and institutional failures to protect vulnerable children and ensure ethical adoption procedures, often prioritising international adoption as a solution to social issues without safeguarding children’s best interests.

Conclusions: The Human Cost of Adoption Failures
The Korean TRC’s report stresses that these systemic flaws have caused deep and lasting harm. Adoptees have faced lifelong challenges related to identity, belonging, and emotional well-being. Many have struggled with feelings of abandonment and alienation, compounded by the difficulty of accessing truthful information about their origins.

Birth families, too, have suffered irreversible loss, often without adequate avenues for reconciliation or reunification. The Commission emphasises that adoption must be understood not merely as a legal procedure but as a profoundly human experience, requiring respect for the rights and dignity of all involved.

Recommendations for Redress and Reform
The Commission puts forward comprehensive recommendations aimed at redressing past harms and preventing future abuses:

Establishing Transparent Records and Access: Creation of a centralised, publicly accessible registry containing detailed information about international adoptions to assist adoptees in tracing their origins.

Legal and Regulatory Reforms: Implementation of stricter legal safeguards and oversight mechanisms to ensure ethical adoption practices, including mandatory verification of informed consent and rigorous documentation standards.

Support Services for Adoptees and Families: Development of psychological counselling, support groups, and information services tailored to the needs of adoptees and birth families.

State Apology and Reconciliation Efforts: Formal acknowledgement and apology from the South Korean government for past adoption-related injustices, alongside initiatives to foster dialogue and healing.

International Cooperation: Encouragement of cross-border collaboration to standardise ethical adoption practices and safeguard children’s rights globally.

Broader Implications and International Context
The Korean TRC’s findings resonate globally, reflecting concerns raised in other countries regarding international adoption ethics and practices. The report has contributed significantly to a growing international discourse demanding accountability, transparency, and respect for the rights of adoptees.

This inquiry aligns with parallel investigations in receiving countries, such as Sweden’s Commission on International Adoptions, underscoring the transnational nature of adoption challenges. Together, these efforts highlight the necessity of global cooperation to address historical injustices and improve current adoption frameworks.

Public Reaction and Next Steps
The report has been met with both relief and calls for urgent action from adoptee advocacy groups, human rights organisations, and policymakers. Many stress the importance of transforming the Commission’s recommendations into concrete policies that safeguard children’s rights and promote healing.

For further information - please contact KoRoot: [email protected].

04/06/2025

Swedish Commission’s Report Sheds New Light on International Adoptions – A Critical Review of Systemic Failures and Recommendations for the Future

Yesterday, the Swedish government’s appointed Commission on the Investigation of International Adoptions published its long-awaited and comprehensive report. The report, the result of several years of rigorous research, interviews, and archival examination, exposes numerous serious issues and structural weaknesses within both the Swedish and international adoption systems — particularly covering the period from the 1950s through to the early 2000s.

Background and Commission’s Work
The Commission was established in response to decades of criticism directed at international adoptions, including allegations of illegality, document falsification, insufficient information provided to adoptive parents and adoptees, and the profound human impact on the children involved. Its mission has been to bring clarity, accountability, and reconciliation while strengthening current regulations and practices.

The report draws upon over 500 interviews with adoptees, birth families, social workers, legal experts, and government officials, alongside a thorough review of thousands of cases from national and international archives. It also analyses international cooperation agreements, including the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Key Findings and Issues Identified
One of the most striking findings is evidence that a significant proportion of adoptions during the period in question occurred under questionable circumstances. The Commission identified numerous cases where children were removed from their birth families without adequate consent or under coercion, as well as instances involving falsified birth certificates and altered identities designed to facilitate adoption.

The report further highlights a lack of transparency in the adoption processes and weaknesses in the mechanisms intended to ensure that adoptions were conducted legally and ethically. Moreover, it reveals that adoptees frequently received insufficient or misleading information about their origins, with profound consequences for their identity formation and psychological well-being.

Impact on Adoptees and Families
The Swedish Commission stresses that the consequences of past failures are not solely legal but deeply human. Many adoptees have struggled with feelings of loss, uncertainty, and a lack of connection to their biological roots. At the same time, birth families often lost their children without meaningful opportunity for involvement or reunion.

Consequently, the Commission recommends establishing systems to guarantee better access to origin information for adoptees, including a national registry with comprehensive documentation and support for reunification processes where desired.

Recommendations for Reform
The report sets out several concrete recommendations for Swedish legislators and authorities. Key proposals include:

Strengthening the legal framework governing international adoptions, with more stringent requirements for documentation, consent, and oversight.

Establishing an independent complaints and advisory body dedicated to current and former adoptees.

Enhancing international cooperation to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the adoption process.

Developing psychosocial support services for adoptees and their families, including counselling and therapy.

Issuing a formal state apology for past failings, alongside the creation of a reconciliation programme.

Interconnection with the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Investigation
Significantly, the Swedish Commission’s findings resonate closely with those of the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which has conducted parallel investigations into the history and practice of international adoptions originating from Korea. Both inquiries uncover systemic issues of coerced or unlawful separations of children from their birth families, falsification of documents, and the long-lasting psychological impact on adoptees.

The Korean TRC’s work has provided critical insight into the mechanisms and networks involved in adoptions from Korean institutions and orphanages, revealing how international adoption agencies sometimes operated without sufficient oversight or regard for ethical standards. The Swedish investigation complements this by highlighting similar patterns from the receiving countries’ perspectives, exposing the transnational nature of these practices.

Together, these investigations underscore the need for international cooperation to address the legacy of these adoption practices, improve transparency, and ensure the rights and welfare of adoptees worldwide. They also highlight the importance of cross-border dialogue between governments, adoptees, and civil society organisations to foster accountability and healing.

Public and Stakeholder Reactions
The report has attracted widespread attention and evoked strong emotions. Numerous adoptee advocacy groups have praised the Commission’s thorough work and called for swift political action. They emphasise the importance of translating the findings into tangible improvements to prevent recurrence.

Politicians across multiple parties have expressed their commitment to implementing the recommendations, highlighting the need for a holistic approach that respects adoptees, birth families, and society’s responsibilities.

Perspective and Future Work
The Swedish Commission’s report forms part of a broader international movement in recent years, as various countries investigate and acknowledge challenges connected with past international adoptions. The report significantly contributes to ongoing debates on how best to protect children’s rights, ethics, and accountability in both historical and future adoptions.

It also opens space for dialogue on hearing and recognising the many personal stories involved, while working towards genuine reconciliation and justice.

For further information - please contact the Swedish KoRoot partner Skan Adoption.

04/06/2025

SEARCHING FOR ADOPTEE
KoRoot has received an enquiry from a birth mother searching for her child, who was given the Korean name Soo Min Kim (also possibly spelled Su Min Kim).
The adoptee was sent abroad through Holt during the period from October to December 1984.

According to the birth mother, the child was born on 1st July 1984. However, there is a possibility that Holt may have falsified the date of birth, as has been documented in other cases.

The birth mother has been searching for her child for many years and has also contacted Holt, who have refused to assist her.
If your Korean name was Soo Min Kim and you were born in 1984, we would like to hear from you.

Please write to [email protected] or [email protected].

09/04/2025

Press release and joint statement from adoptees' human rights organizations.

On Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM, adoptee human rights organizations - KoRoot, AUSKRG, USKRG, DKRG, NKRG, NLKRG, SKAN, FKRG, and CAFE will hold a demonstration for the completion of all 367 adoption cases at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea.

Only 56 out of the 367 adoption cases have been processed by the commission, leaving 311 cases pending.

We have been waiting for 2 years and 7 months! All cases must be resolved!

If you are in Seoul, come and join the demonstration:

Time: Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Location: In front of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission office in

Seoul. NamSan Square Building 173, Toegye-ro, Jung-Gu Seoul, Seoul https://maps.app.goo.gl/NCiAaTh9dGZ6a2516

Read more at: https://koroot.online/TRC

JOINT STATEMENT367 adoptees submitted petitions to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea, requesting investigations into their own adoptions. To date, only 56 cases have been concluded, leaving 311 adoptees still waiting for answers.