FORGED ADOPTIONS 6: Personal notes or memos that could serve as important clues to tracking down birth parents have often been withheld from adoptees under the current scheme

The oldest international adoptee to share their story with the Hankyoreh was Margaret Conlon, adopted in 1965, while the youngest was Mia Lee Sorensen, adopted in 1988. Regardless of the period in which they were adopted, the majority of adoptees are unable to trust the personal information and records about them held by adoption agencies, and they expressed frustration over the difficulty of even accessing this information.

The National Center for the Rights of the Child (formerly Korea Adoption Services) was established under the Ministry of Health and Welfare in line with an amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption in 2012 for the purpose of post-adoption follow-up services. The transfer and release of information on adoptees became a hot topic at this time, but adoption agencies including the national center still only entered 51 basic items of factual information including the names and addresses of adoptees and their birth parents. Other information such as consultation records and personal notes or memos that could serve as important clues to tracking down birth parents were not released.

Adoption experts believe adoption agencies should apologize for the common practice of illegally forging documents in the past and release the original copies of all documents, including consultation records, with no filters.

“To adoptees, even a small note that pertains to their roots is very precious,” said Noh Hye-ryeon, a professor of social welfare at Soongsil University who formerly worked in the overseas division of Holt Children’s Services and an adoption agency in San Jose, California. “They even say the documents are imbued with the life of the mother who gave them up, and want a chance to personally hold them in their hands.”

Another 237 cases will be looked into by the commission, which had already begun a probe into 34 cases in December 2022

Photos of William Vorhees in Korea that appear in his adoption file (left), and a current photo of him. (courtesy of Vorhees)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Korea plans to investigate the adoption process in 237 cases between the 1960s and 1990s involving South Korean children suspected of having been adopted overseas under false pretenses.

This second decision to initiate an investigation comes after a prior one made in December of last year. Among those whose adoptions are being investigated is the US citizen William Vorhees, whose story was shared in a recent Hankyoreh report on fraudulent adoptions.

Senimah keeps her promise to the family that adopted her son, Jordy Nijkerk. He's not going to look for it. After being separated by thousands of kilometers for 43 years, mother and son were reunited.

REVELATION OF ZANUAR BUSTOMI, Surabaya

ARTIMAH could not hold back her tears when she met Jordy Nijkerk at Ngagel Mulyo Gang IV (3/5). Mother and child hug each other to miss. "I do not sell children," said Senimah.

Senimah has repeatedly said this sentence to emphasize that she really loves Jordy. He had been looking for his son. However, the family that adopted Agus Purnomo, Jordy's birth name, brought him to live in the Netherlands.

Not many words were spoken at the beginning of the mother and child encounter. The two of them just hugged each other. Senimah does not want to lose her child for the second time. Jordy finally found his biological mother back.

Unimaginable. Dozens of meters of adoption files have been destroyed . Shredded by an unfeeling civil service. People with an adoption background often have a desperate need for this information. Because every snippet might provide answers to their most basic life questions.

Who am I? Who are my parents? Why couldn't they take care of me? Where do I come from? Where did they take me? Why do I have this appearance, this color? Why did I end up in another country? Why in Europe? Why in the Netherlands? Why in this adoptive family? Who, what, where, why, how?

They are endless questions that, if left unanswered, can lead to grief and lifelong trauma.

Wanting to know where you come from is a fundamental building block of human existence. The grief of children of sperm donors shows us how deep that longing can be, how groping in the dark seems to pull the bottom out of your life.

For adoptees you can do quite a bit on top of that. Because no matter how lovingly you are taken care of in your adoptive family; being separated from your birth mother is already traumatizing. Let alone the chaos of being given up, staying in a home and being dragged from place to place. Already in the womb, a fetus attaches itself to the mother, we now know from research. A fetus becomes familiar with the voice and movements of the mother and even starts learning the language in the last term of the pregnancy.

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 sought to keep Native children in tribal communities. The Supreme Court may change that this spring.

Childhood photos of Chris Stearns, who was born a Navajo, but was raised by white parents in New Jersey. One photograph of him, at about age 3, shows him wearing red overalls. The other shows him with his adoptive parents.

Childhood photos of Chris Stearns, who was born a Navajo, but was raised by white Evangelical parents in New Jersey. Credit...Kholood Eid for The New York Times

SKIP TO CONTENT

Sections

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 sought to keep Native children in tribal communities. The Supreme Court may change that this spring.

Childhood photos of Chris Stearns, who was born a Navajo, but was raised by white parents in New Jersey. One photograph of him, at about age 3, shows him wearing red overalls. The other shows him with his adoptive parents.

Childhood photos of Chris Stearns, who was born a Navajo, but was raised by white Evangelical parents in New Jersey. Credit...Kholood Eid for The New York Times

SKIP TO CONTENT

Sections

Woo's request regarding the report on the Commission's investigation into intercountry adoption

- We can no longer rule out that illegal adoption to Norway has been very extensive, says Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe after VG's revelations about South Korea.

Yesterday VG was able to reveal systematic cheating in adoption papers from South Korea:

Children were listed as orphans in the adoption papers that got them to Norway - despite the fact that their mothers were alive and known to the adoption agency.

This is shown by reports after inspection trips that VG has been given access to. Thus, adoptions could take place without the consent of the biological parents.

On Saturday, seven adoptees from South Korea shared their stories in VG.

For large parts of her life, Maiken Helene Bergsmo has tried to push away the fact that she is an adopted child. She calls for better follow-up of people adopted abroad.

- It has been difficult for mum and dad to understand. In recent years, it has dawned on them how challenging it can be to have dark skin.

Maiken Helene Bergsmo was born on 8 March 2001 and was found in a cardboard box along the street in the Chinese city of Shanghai.

Two years later, Bergsmo sat on the plane with his new Norwegian family on the way to Harstad. Bergsmo has been told that the tears fell when the snow in northern Norway hit her shoe.

Today, Bergsmo studies journalism at Oslo Metropolitan University. She smiles widely when she meets the journalist in Framtida, but behind the smile there is also a lot of seriousness.

Asha Dijkstra

My name is Asha, being born in Delhi in 1979 but moved to the Netherlands at the age of 5 months. My name means hope and this has been my guide in life. As soon as you get a name, you are a person with an identity, which grows with you each day. My name fills the emptiness I have when it comes to the feelings related to adoption. Now 34 years later, I realize and I still feel I belong to India because of my name.

I grew up in Holland, with my mum and dad. My father passed away when I was 9 years old. I don’t have any siblings, something which I always regretted. I missed being surrounded by sisters and brothers, especially someone from India, I could relate to.

In 1995 I visited India for the first time with my mum. Palna was also on the list, a very special place for me and very emotional also. I was 15 years old at that time and was overwhelmed by emotions. It was all too much for me: meeting my biological family, visiting the hospital where I was born, seeing & experiencing the poverty, a big contrast to Holland.

However deep down I felt very strongly connected with my birthplace, although I could not go there. I first wanted to finish my master’s studies in History of Education and organize my life by finding a job like a responsible adult. For me it was very important that I’m financially independent and stable. I’m positive and enjoy small things in life. I like to travel with Joost (my boyfriend), spending time with my friends, who are really important for me, attending concerts and playing keyboards and saxophone. Music is very important in my life. It took 13 years before I visited India again. In 2008 I went back, this time with Joost and we travelled 5 weeks from North to the South. I was very happy and calm being in India, I felt like home. Since then I try to come every year. India is my second home, which gives me a lot of comfort. I hope to discover lots of places, although I don’t feel like a tourist. During my last visit I met some really nice people who become good friends. It feels good to be part of their lives. In this way I explore my Indian side, I feed my genes and learn more about the culture. In some aspects I see it in myself; I love spicy Indian food and I do like cooking it. I don’t like winter in Holland as I hate snow and cold weather, but I have no problems with thirty degrees, in contrast of many Dutch people.