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.

[Kim Yu-ri/Overseas Adoption Victim]
“I can’t accept this. Please… We are victims of the state.”

Ultimately, the fact that adoption records could not be found is what hindered the investigation into the truth.

[Peter Muller/Co-representative of the Danish Korean Truth Finding Group (DKRG) - Jeong Yeong-hun/Director of Investigation Department 2, Truth and Reconciliation Commission]
“The fact that there are no records is a violation of human rights. The fact that we cannot know the stories of our pasts is in itself a violation of our rights.” Only

56 people have been officially recognized as victims of overseas adoption.

In addition to the 42 people for whom the investigation into the truth was suspended, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission decided to suspend the investigation into 269 people, for a total of 311 people.

The reasons were a lack of materials and a lack of time.

[Noh Hye-ryeon/Professor Emeritus, Department of Social Welfare, Soongsil University]
“(If they don’t admit to being victims because there is no information) those who don’t know their real background and don’t know their parents and are suffering are saying, ‘You weren’t even harmed. ’”

Norway, which was an ‘import country’ for Korean adoptees, conducted a fact-finding investigation in Korea last month.

[Camilla Berndt/Chairperson of the Norwegian Overseas Adoption Investigation Committee]
“The purpose of our investigation is to determine whether the Norwegian authorities have sufficiently controlled international adoptions and whether there have been any illegal or inappropriate practices.”

Denmark has decided to conduct a large-scale investigation at the parliamentary level.

[Peter Muller/Co-Chairperson, Danish Korean Truth Investigation Group (DKRG)]
“The important thing about the Danish investigation is actually imposing legal responsibility. The Danish parliament is trying to find out how this happened and who is responsible.”

However, the investigation into the truth about overseas adoption in Korea is likely to end like this unless the third Truth Commission is launched.

[Park Geon-tae/Truth and Reconciliation Commission Investigation Team Leader]
"As you can see from the overall poor record management, I think at the time, they probably thought, 'Once a child is adopted, it's over, there's no need to look for them again.'"

-----

 

For adoptees, records, which are like an 'umbilical cord', are also a compass on the road to finding their identity.

[Han Bun-young/Co-CEO of the Danish Korean Truth Finding Group (DKRG)]
"Where is there a person who doesn't know where they came from? Where is there a person who doesn't know their mother, father, and siblings? It's so basic. Without this (adoption record), we don't exist. This is the beginning of our lives."

The damage caused by lost records continues across generations.

Marit Kim, who visited her mother's hometown after her mother took her own life due to the pain of adoption.

[Marit Kim van der Stey/Second-generation overseas adoptee]
"When I first went to Gwangju (her mother's hometown), it felt really special. I was so fascinated by the faces of the people. I thought, 'Gwangju people seem to have rounder faces, and their lips look like my mother's.' It was so sad, but it felt like a small gift to be able to see someone who looked like my mother."

However, even finding her mother's mother, her maternal grandmother, was very difficult.

[Marit Kim van der Stey/Second-generation overseas adoptee]
"But I'm a part of my mom. I don't know why I can't access my family papers. I asked the Child Rights Commission if I could get a DNA test, but they said no because I'm not an adoptee or a missing child. Maybe my grandmother is still looking for my mom and wants to know more about her."

The second-generation adoptees Straight spoke to described this experience as one of sadness, loss, and emptiness.

[Bastian Flickweirt (Shin Seo-bin)/Second generation overseas adoptee - Melanie Steiner/Second generation overseas adoptee]
"There are barriers on so many levels, culturally, linguistically, and legally. There are already such barriers simply because we are adoptees, and we are even further down. You feel like you can't approach it, and there is an emptiness in your heart that is too hard to explain. <To me, it feels like a silent sadness. It feels like sadness.> About something you've lost... <Not only did you lose your family, but you also lost your culture, your country, and your language. When I met other adoptees and adoptee children, this emptiness suddenly disappeared, and I felt a sense of light and connection, and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm not alone, I'm not crazy.' This is what it means to be alive. This is what it feels like to have roots. Other people must have felt this way their whole lives.>

-----

Moreover, adoption records are directly related to life.

Mathieu Christmas, who was adopted to France at 5 months old. He

has suffered from severe insomnia since last year and is now suffering from tinnitus and muscle I'm experiencing convulsions and hallucinations.

I desperately need information from my biological parents to find out if it's a hereditary disease.

The Special Adoption Act also states that adoption information can be disclosed regardless of the consent of the biological parents in special cases, such as for medical purposes.

[Mathieu Christmas/Overseas Adoption Victim (YouTube 'Mongsaem Bookstore', December 13, 2024)]
"I just want to find out if there was a case of fatal insomnia or a hereditary sleep disorder within that family."

However, the Child Rights Protection Center, which manages adoption information, is not disclosing the information, saying it has not yet received parental consent.

[Bae Jin-si/Director of Montaigne Overseas Adoption Solidarity]
"Is the Personal Information Protection Act more important than human life and the child's human rights? It's not like we can't find our parents. They're alive and well, and I know where they are living. But I don't know if it really makes sense that they can't give me that information."

-----

So how are the records of victims of overseas adoption managed?

The Child Rights Protection Center once entrusted an outside company with the task of computerizing the adoption records of 86 childcare facilities for 10 years from 2013.

The result was a mess.

The birth mother's address was written completely differently, from Jeollanam-do to Seoul, and even the child's gender was wrong.

A large number of cases were found where the names and contact information of the birth parents were written incorrectly or omitted.

Important records before adoption were damaged, and because they were not even properly inspected, half of the scanned data in 2020 and 2021 were blank.

They didn't even know that the external hard drive containing the original files was lost.

[Kim Nam-hee/Democratic Party of Korea - Jeong Ik-joong/Director of the Child Rights Protection Center (National Assembly Welfare Committee, October 21, 2024)]
"<So there's an external hard drive?> I understand that there is an external hard drive."

[Jeong Ik-joong/Director of the Child Rights Protection Center (National Assembly Welfare Committee, October 21, 2024)]
"I apologize for speaking too definitively about the loss of data. I would like to ask for a correction once again."

Internal document of the Child Rights Protection Center obtained by Straight Team. It states

that the original data is 50% more than what has been computerized, but it is not possible to identify which data has been scanned.

In the end, we concluded that we had to start the computerization process again from the beginning.

[Child Rights Protection Center employee]
"The data we have now is unreliable. When adoptees request disclosure of their current information, I honestly cannot guarantee whether or not the data will be correct."

-----

In addition, starting in July of this year, all adoption records from four adoption agencies, including Holt, will be transferred to the Child Rights Protection Agency.

A plan was made to build an archive on 25,000 square meters of state-owned land in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, and the director of the Child Rights Protection Agency visited the site, but the plan has been put on hold indefinitely.

[Gimpo City official]
"It seems that the Child Rights Protection Agency is still in the process of preparing internally. We are waiting."

When asked why it was put on hold, the Child Rights Protection Agency explained, "It was not something that the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the Child Rights Protection Agency agreed on, and the article at the time was not an official position."

We also visited a place that was supposed to be used as a temporary storage facility until the archives were built.

It was a warehouse in Gyeonggi-do, a remote place that would be inconvenient for adoptees to visit.

[Warehouse official]
"<What was it originally used for? The building itself?> It was a cold storage. (The Child Rights Protection Center) would come and look at the 2nd floor, the 4th floor, the 5th floor, etc...."

In a place where the entire building was used as a cold storage, questions about whether old documents can be stored are bound to arise.

[Child Rights Protection Center employee]
"The place we are trying to move to (as a temporary storage facility) has a cold storage on the lower floor, so the temperature is very low. So in order to maintain the temperature and humidity there, a lot of equipment will have to be brought in, and we are worried about whether it will work or not."

However, the Child Rights Protection Center explained, "It meets the load capacity standards, has sufficient area, and is relatively close to the city center, so we consider it the best candidate."

[Lee Kyung-eun/Representative of Human Rights Beyond Borders]
"All of these issues ultimately converge on the right of 200,000 (international adoptees) to know their own identity, their own roots, and their true identity, so there is a very long way to go to guarantee those human rights."

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