About
MIssion statement
Every adoption record tells a story. Every story deserves to be preserved, protected, and remembered. Because records are rights.
We are a coalition of adoptees, advocates, and allies, committed to safeguarding adoption records and restoring adoptee rights.
FAQ
The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) is a public institution which oversees inter-country adoption, domestic adoption and all child welfare related matters. It is supervised by the South Korean government’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). See more here: National Center for the Rights of the Child
Right now, adoption records are housed in a ‘temporary archive’. This location is not built to be an archive, instead it is a cooled distribution center currently in use by Coupang (South Korea’s Amazon). Learn more about the transfer and the storage conditions here.
Adoption files are currently held by Korea’s National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC), NOT the adoption agencies. If you contact your agency for access, you will be directed to the NCRC. Adoptee Information Disclosure Form allows adoptees to petition for access to their own files. This is also the only way to digitize adoption files. Learn more about the process here.
Meet the team
Oh Myo Kim
M.Div., Ph.D., Boston College
Oh Myo Kim is an associate professor of the practice in the Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology program at Boston College. Currently, she lives in Boston with her family and is a visiting professor at Yonsei University. She is trained as a counseling psychologist. Dr. Kim’s research primarily examines adoption and racial and ethnic identity. As a Korean adoptee, she is committed to advocating for our community.
Shin Seo Vin
MA, Yonsei University
Shin Seo Vin (aka Bastiaan Flikweert) earned a master’s degree in Korean Studies from Yonsei University, bringing fresh academic insight to the institutional history of the transnational Korean adoption complex and the intergenerational impact of adoption. Born to two Dutch Korean adoptees, he has been involved in the adoptee community since birth. Since 2020, he has been an active researcher and advocate, with a growing body of work grounded in restorative justice for all adoptees.
Eva Suskind
BA, James Madison University
Eva Suskind is a Washington, D.C-based film creative, graphic designer and Korean adoptee/advocate. In 2025, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University. Shaped by childhood experiences in local adoptee organizations and her love of film, Eva received a BA in Korean Language and Digital Video & Cinema. Collaborating with other adoptee advocates and researchers, she utilizes her background in digital media to empower overseas adoptees with crucial information regarding record access and preservation.
Mary Bowers
Architectural Project Manager, LEED AP
Mary Bowers is a US adoptee and an architectural project manager with experience overseeing complex infrastructure projects, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas International Airports and the San Ysidro Port of Entry. She has supported government agencies such as the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, bringing expertise in regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement. Mary is committed to ethical leadership, transparency, and social justice—values central to EARS’ mission.
Julayne Lee
Ma Ed
Julayne Lee is a data analyst and compliance officer. She has led successful SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA and SOC 1 audits including internal audits for both data center and cloud environments. As a data analyst, she established data governance and security protocols. As an adoptee, Julayne was on the Adoptee Solidarity Korea (ASK) steering committee and co-founded ASK – LA and IbyangIN. As a poet and artistic researcher, she is dedicated to the preservation of the history of Korean-born adoptees.
ADVISORS
Helen Noh
MSW, Ph.D., Soongsil University
Helen Noh is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Social Welfare at Soongsil University. Throughout her career, she has led extensive research and provided critical consultations that have driven meaningful reforms in child and family welfare policy and practice. With a deep passion for adoption, she actively advocates for the rights of adoptees and birthparents, working in close partnership with civic organizations and individuals to bring about change.
NAmhyi Lim
Journalist
Since 2013, Namhyi Lim has been volunteering for Korean adoptees who are searching for their birth families by supporting their visits to Korea and experiences with Korean culture. She has a deep understanding of the importance of adoptees’ search for their roots and their right to access their adoption records, and has produced media content on related topics.