Application to The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Korea

Application for initiation of investigation concerning human rights violations and incidents of historical significance in the field of international adoption 1.0 Introduction On behalf of the organization Danish Korea Rights Group (DKRG), we hereby submit an application to initiate an investigation concerning human rights violations and incidents of historical significance in the field of international adoption during the authoritarian rule in South Korea. DKRG is an organization for Danish adoptees from South Korea adopted to Denmark. At the time of writing, we represent more than 160 adoptees. DKRG is a non-profit interest organization that works for the rights of Danish adoptees from South Korea and for their rights to their own identity and personhood as adoptees and free individuals with their own ability and power to act as independent and free human beings. DKRG's inquiry to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Republic of Korea is based on the fact that many adoptees in Denmark were adopted during the time of authoritarian rule in South Korea. We are adoptees who seek our Korean origins and wishes to examine our backgrounds as adoptees. Access to background information and historical facts for the adoptees are therefore of crucial importance and significance, and for some adoptees it is also important to be able to search for their origin. Both the access to background information for adoptees and the access to search for biological family are today hampered by the practice of adoption agencies, which dates back to the time of authoritarian rule, which is still de facto unregulated when it comes to post-adoption services and is important to ensure the human rights of adoptees.