March 2026

Download Newsletter PDF

(This version includes correction)

JUMP TO

Correction + Addendum:

In our recent newsletter we incorrectly stated that, “The [data leak] loss was confirmed in November 2024 following a National Assembly audit. Affected individuals were not notified until February 13, 2026, approximately 16 months later.” EARS aims to provide both accurate and timely information. We remain committed to correcting ourselves when a factual error occurs. 

The NCRC issued a public apology on March 22 on their main website (https://www.ncrc.or.kr/ncrc_en/main.do), acknowledging the data leak and the possible type of data exposed. This follows a similar public apology issued on February 13th, which was limited to the leak of missing children’s child cards. For both cases, affected individuals have NOT been contacted by the NCRC. 

There was some confusion due to similarities between the two data leaks. As such we would like to provide a short summary to add to our previous statements: 

  • The hard drives that were lost cover multiple digitization projects spanning many years, conducted by the same company.  
  • The loss of hard drives from both projects first became public during the October 2024 National Audit when MPs questioned the NCRC and the MOHW about the projects.
  • The “Child Card Digitization Project” ran from 2019 to 2021.
    • The leak of the drive from 2020 covers data for about 30,000 missing children (60,000 scanned pages) from childcare facilities.   
  • The “Adoption Records Digitization Project” ran from 2013 to 2022.
    • This data covers domestic and international adoption records, specifically the records from government departments and 86 childcare facilities, some of which have closed down. This project did not scan any records held by any adoption agency.
    • For the “Adoption Records Digitization Project”, the NCRC SHOULD have 34 hard drives in possession: 2 hard drives for each of the 17 digitization projects that were conducted.
    • They currently only have 26 hard drives in possession. There are only five hard drives labelled as ‘original’: 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The other 21 drives are marked as copies in the NCRC’s inventory. 
  • Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act Article 34 requires institutions to contact affected individuals 72 hours after discovery of a data leak. The NCRC and the MOHW are in violation of this act and are currently under investigation by the Personal Information Protection Commission. 
  • For both cases, affected individuals have NOT been contacted by the NCRC.
    • For the missing child card data, it took the NCRC a year and four months to issue a public acknowledgement.
    • For the missing adoption records data it took the NCRC about a year and five months to issue a public acknowledgement.

EARS is cooperating with Korean partners in addressing these grave issues, and we will update you as soon as possible when new updates present themselves.

In The Spotlight

Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC3)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea commenced its third session on February 26, 2026. The TRC’s mandate comes with considerable power, public attention, and influence on future human rights policy.

If you are a Korean adoptee, this is about you. No matter where you live or whatever your story. And while the process can feel distant, bureaucratic, or even frightening to approach, we want to walk you through what it is, what it isn’t, and what you can do if you choose to get involved.

So What Is the TRC?

The TRC is an independent Korean government body investigating historical human rights violations, including those in the domestic and international adoption system. Its purpose is to establish an official record, acknowledge harm, and lay the groundwork for repair.

What Did the Previous Commission Find?

The second TRC (TRC2), which ran until November 2025, confirmed that the Korean government oversaw an adoption program that systematically falsified records, misidentified children, and separated families without consent. The commission determined that these practices constituted human rights violations under both Korean and international law.

Of 367 adoptees who filed cases under TRC2, only 56 received formal resolutions. The remaining 311 carry forward into TRC3.

What’s New in TRC3?

There are three key changes:

  • First, the commission now has stronger investigative powers, including the authority to obtain documents directly from adoption agencies, orphanages, and the National Center for the Rights of the Child — without needing applicants to provide them.
  • Second, you no longer have to personally prove a human rights violation occurred in order to file.
  • Third, birth families, descendants of adoptees, and witnesses can now file cases as well.
How Do You File?

You can find the Guide to Application and Submission for Truth Investigation on the TRC website at: jinsil.go.kr. Applications will be accepted February 26, 2026 through February 25, 2028, with possible extensions.

Required documents include a TRC application form, passport copy, and proof of adoption. If your adoption records are incomplete, oral testimony is accepted and can be formalized in writing.

  • Outside Korea: submit through your nearest Korean embassy or consulate. You can find the location nearest you at: www.mofa.go.kr
  • Inside Korea: submit through your local city, county, or district office.

Forms are available in Korean and English. You will receive an official receipt upon submission, and the TRC has 90 days to determine eligibility.

A Word of Care

Engaging with an official process around your adoption can surface a great deal, emotionally and practically. We hope that by providing accurate information, we are able to empower you to make the best choices for you.

We encourage you to connect with others who are navigating this process. We are including a list of adoptee organizations that have supported EARS in hopes that you are able to find a supportive local community.

Investigative teams have not yet been formed as of early March 2026. Cases are being registered now; active investigations are expected to begin around May or June 2026.

Recent Media

Policy and Advocacy

EARS Files Police Complaint Against Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare

On December 11, 2025, Child Rights Solidarity and EARS filed a formal complaint with the Jongno Police Station in Seoul, requesting a criminal investigation into the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Center for the Rights of the Child. The charges: dereliction of duty, breach of trust, and violations of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed the loss in August 2025. Under Korean law, individuals affected by a data breach must be notified within 72 hours. The public was not notified until February 13, 2026 — 191 days later.

The Jongno Police Station is currently investigating, based on the EARS and Child Rights Solidarity complaint and a separate referral from Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

EARS will continue to monitor this investigation and advocate for full accountability.

153,000 Adoption Records Lost. Nobody Said Anything.

The National Center for the Rights of the Child lost 14 of 26 original hard drives containing adoption records. They waited more than a year to tell anyone.

The drives were produced as part of a government digitization project from 2013 to 2019, scanning paper adoption records from 75 facilities across Korea. They contained 153,615 records covering adoptees placed domestically and internationally from the Korean War era through 2019, including names, dates of birth, national ID numbers, birth parent addresses, family registry information, and adoptive parent details.

The loss was confirmed in November 2024 following a National Assembly audit. Korean law requires notification within 72 hours.

The security conditions were troubling. The drives were stored in cardboard boxes under a desk, with no management log or removal record. Some had no password protection. Others had passwords written on sticky notes on the outside. When questioned at the audit, the NCRC president first said the drives existed, then admitted she could not confirm which were originals. She later stated that no one could verify whether the copies matched the originals because the originals were gone.

For comparison: Coupang was fined 1.6 billion won for notifying individuals of a data breach just four days late. The NCRC delayed notification for 16 months. No disciplinary action has been taken.

What was on the drives?

The missing drives held records from 75 facilities across Korea, covering adoptions from the Korean War era through 2019. The information included:

  • Full names and ID numbers of adopted children
  • Names and addresses of birth parents
  • Family registry documents
  • Adoptive parent information

Many of the facilities whose records were on those drives have since permanently closed.

The NCRC holds copies, but whether those copies are complete and accurate can no longer be verified.

EARS representative Shin Seo-bin (Bastiaan Flikweert) said that adoptees are routinely denied access to their ownrecords under privacy law, while those same records were stored insecurely. He added that the failure reflects a government that continues to treat children from poor, disabled, or disadvantaged backgrounds as disposable.

The Personal Information Protection Commission has stated it will investigate public institutions more strictly, not less. EARS will provide updates as this investigation develops.

More info: [Hanguk Ilbo] Ministry of Health and Welfare Agency Claims Ignorance After Losing Adoption Records

Understanding the U.S. Citizenship Issue

If you were adopted from Korea, you are part of a global community. For those adopted to Europe and Australia, citizenship was tied to to the adoption process. For those adopted to the United States, the process was more complicated, and for many, it remains so today. What affects one part of our community affects the whole.

In the United States, citizenship for internationally adopted children did not become automatic until the Child Citizenship Act took effect on February 27, 2001. Before that, adoptive parents had to file separately to naturalize their child — a step that agencies were not required to communicate, and that many families never completed. The law was not retroactive, leaving those born before February 27, 1983 without a path to automatic citizenship. If the paperwork wasn’t filed, naturalization remained incomplete.

How can I find an attorney in the US?

If you or someone you care about is in need of legal advice, contact the American Bar Association for a list of attorneys near you.

For those needing advice specifically related to adoptee citizenship, Adoptee Rights Law Center may be able to assist.

  • If you are a Korean-American adoptee, a U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship are documented proof of your status as a U.S. citizen.
  • If you need to request or replace documents related to your Korean or U.S. citizenship status, the Australia-US Korean Rights Group (AUSKRG) has a step-by-step Citizenship Guidebook for Korean Adoptees at auskrg.com/resources.
  • If you do not hold any of these documents and are uncertain of your citizenship status, we recommend that you consult an immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation.

The citizenship gap is one piece of a much larger story that Korean adoptees are still in the process of telling. Whatever your status, whatever your nationality or story, this community is a resource, and you are a part of it.

Community Corner

K-Number: A Film from Director Seyoung Jo

A Conversation Guide for Adoptees

Whether you have already seen K-Number, plan to see it soon, or prefer other types of movies, we hope the themes in the film inspire you to have conversations with others in your community.

  • Storytelling and documentary film can be a form of advocacy. What can a storytelling do that a legal case or a government report cannot? Is it effective? What are some of the ways you express your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences?
  • The film’s director said she made K-Number for Koreans who know little about adoption. What do you wish more people in your country understood about the Korean adoption system or your adoptee experience?
  • K-Number’s title comes from the tracking number assigned to children in Korea’s adoption system. What does it mean to have your identity reduced to a number? Does that resonate with your own experience in any way?
  • When you hear that adoption documents like Mioka’s were falsified or invented, what’s your first reaction? What are some of the healthy or unhealthy ways adoptees process their emotions?
  • Mioka shares that she’s returned to Korea to search for her family several times. What kinds kinds of beliefs do you hold around persistence, hope, or letting go?

About the Film

K-Number is an award-winning documentary by director Seyoung Jo. The film tells the story of Mioka Miller, who was found on the streets of Seoul in 1974 and adopted to the United States, though she was neither orphaned nor abandoned. On a trip to Korea to search for her birth family, Mioka connects with Banet, a collective of Korean women who help adoptees search for their origins. Together, they explore how Mioka’s experience connects with the broader history of Korea’s international adoption system and the challenges of searching for truth.

Coalition Growth

Adoptee advocates around the world are raising concerns about international adoption. Here is what a few of them have been up to:

In the United Kingdom, the Korean Presidential Secretary’s office met with 14 Korean adoptees adopted into British families between 1953 and 2005. Topics included their experiences and possible pathways to reestablishing Korean citizenship.

In Sweden, adoptee groups SKAN and SKRG met with the Minister of Social Affairs to discuss the ongoing investigation into international adoption. The former president of Adoptionscentrum and a senior advisor from Sweden’s Human Rights Institute both addressed the group. Discussions are ongoing, with adoptee advocates at the table.

In Belgium, a court convicted a Congolese-Belgian politician and orphanage director of child abduction, child trafficking, and illicit adoption of 11 Congolese children, sentencing her to 14 years in prison. On March 4th, a parliamentary majority supported plans to phase out international adoptions to Flanders, potentially ending 79 years of intercountry adoption. The Flemish Green Party has announced a separate formal proposal for abolishment, following consultations with adoptee interest group CAFE.

Beginning in March, the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services is launching an independent investigation into the historic Republic of Korea-Australia intercountry adoption program. Korean-Australian adoptees can learn more at www.dss.gov.au/ROK-adoption-investigation.

From the UK to Europe to Australia, adoptee advocates are showing up and being heard.

Compliance Watch

The transfer of adoption files to the National Archives Seongnam Branch was expected by mid-2025. As of the first quarter of 2026, the NCRC has not announced a timeline. Once transferred, files must meet the National Archives’ minimum disinfection standards — a process estimated to take two to five years and requiring additional funding.

EARS continues to urge the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the NCRC to request adequate funding for the transfer and digitization of adoption records. Access to our records is a right, not a privilege.