JUMP TO

• Policy and Advocacy
  • EARS Activities
  • MOU Signed with the National Archives
• Media Spotlight
• Coalition Growth
• Compliance Watch
• Community Care Corner
• Partner Spotlight

Policy and Advocacy

EARS ACTIVITIES

EARS, along with GOAL and KAMRA325, met with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Center for the Rights of the Child on Aug. 13 / Aug. 28 / Sept. 8 / Sept. 26. Other adoptee groups were invited but declined to attend. We delivered the following concerns in those meetings:

On Aug 22, EARS delivered additional evidence to the Human Rights Commission for the illegal 3-month pause of adoption information disclosure services.

On September 15, EARS held a protest at the temporary facility as the second batch of Holt files moved in. We went to raise our voice against the lack of external monitoring Together with Lawmaker Lee Sujin, we were able to enter the temporary facility and highlight both the lack of accessibility and that the water sprinklers were still in place.

President Lee Jae Myung posted a public apology to overseas adoptees and their families over Facebook on October 2. This apology marked an important recognition of the human rights abuses and systemic harms suffered by adoptees and first families.

We received this apology as a meaningful gesture; one that we hope serves as a foundation for action and change. But reconciliation requires concrete steps that acknowledges the past and prevents future harms. We call on the Korean government to:

• Guarantee immediate and unredacted access to adoption records;
• Establish a reparations process that includes DNA testing and mental health and legal support;
• Establish a third Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC3);
• Shift resources from adoption toward family preservation and care-based reform;
• Create a permanent national archive for all adoption files.

MOU Signed with the national archives

To address the safety compliance concerns we have raised about the temporary archive in Goyang, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the NCRC signed an MOU on October gth with the National Archives of Korea (NA), right before the National Audit later this month. The plan is to move the adoption files from Goyang to the NA repository in Seongnam, about an hour and half south of Seoul. Since the MOU does not contain any details, this transfer potentially places our files in legal limbo between the NCRC and the NA. There is also no timeline for the transfer, and it is unclear how the NCRC will serve adoptees who wish to access their original records when the files are in Seongnam. EARS is monitoring these new developments and will continue to urge the government to take actions that guarantee equal right to access.

Media Spotlight

• [Korea Times] “Adoptees raise alarm over NCRC’s handling of records”
• [Oh My News] “The South Korean government must take responsibility for preserving adoption records”

Coalition Growth

Adoptee advocates around the world have worked together to raise concerns about Korea’s handling of adoption records.

• EARS met with the Australian Embassy in Korea on July 3
• EARS met with the Dutch Embassy in Korea on August 1
• Adoptionspolitisk Forum met with the Korean Embassy in Denmark on August 19
• IKAA met the San Francisco Korea Consulate on September 9
• Korean Adoptees Norway met the Korean Embassy in Oslo on September 10
• EARS met with the Korean Consulate-General in Boston on September 25

Each meeting raised urgent concerns about the record transfer process, current document access, and long-term archival preservation. Korea must meet basic archival standards, allow independent monitoring, and ensure adoptee access that is safe and trauma-informed. Our names and histories are not only personal rights, they are international responsibilities.

COMPLIANCE WATCH

When the NCRC took charge of our adoption records, it promised to protect them and make them available to all adoptees. The building has limited wheelchair access, no accessible bathrooms, and no tactile strips or braille for those with visual impairments. Online disclosure request forms are in Korean and lack multilingual features and assistive technology.

NCRC has provided no clear timeline for fixing these issues. In Korea, the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities, Remedy Against Infringement of Their Rights (장애인차별금지 및 권리구제 등에 관한 법률) requires public institutions to provide equal and reasonable access to facilities and services.

EARS is calling on NCRC and the Korean government to make the archive site and digital systems accessible, bring in outside experts for an audit, and enforce compliance with existing disability rights law. Access to our records is a right, not a privilege.

Community Care Corner

Reviewing your adoption documents can bring up many emotions. No matter what comes up, you don’t have to go through it alone. Some adoptees may prefer one-on-one check-ins, while others may enjoy community meetups. Set ground rules to create a space where people can be honest while respecting each other’s differences, setting boundaries, and listening without judgment. We hope that whatever your story holds, you continue to find clarity, truth, and connection.

Partner Spotlight

Minbyun (“Lawyers for a Democratic Society”) has been protecting people’s rights in Korea since 1988. Their lawyers have worked on cases involving privacy, labor rights, political freedoms, and environmental justice. With more than 1,200 members, Minbyun is one of Korea’s leading public interest law groups. As an EARS partner, they bring legal expertise and a strong commitment to fairness, helping ensure that adoptee rights and adoption records are safeguarded with care.