South Korea to phase out international adoptions amid UN calls to confront historical abuses
South Korea announced plans to phase out international adoptions, responding to growing scrutiny from United Nations investigators who expressed “serious concern” over the country’s handling of past abuses tied to decades of sending children abroad. The government said it aims to end all foreign adoptions by 2029, citing reforms to child welfare policies and an effort to prioritize domestic placements.
The announcement followed the U.N. human rights office’s request that Seoul provide concrete measures to address the grievances of adoptees who were sent overseas under falsified records or subjected to abuse by foreign families. South Korea approved just 24 international adoptions in 2025, a steep decline from thousands per year during the 1980s, as the country restructured its adoption system from private agency oversight to a public framework.
U.N. investigators criticized South Korea for failing to provide effective remedies for past abuses and for suspending a fact-finding investigation into fraudulent adoptions, despite reports of severe violations, including cases resembling enforced disappearances. The government highlighted prior reforms, such as reinstating judicial oversight in 2011 and centralizing adoption authority, but offered no new measures to resolve inaccurate records or provide reparations to affected adoptees.
One high-profile case cited by the U.N. involved Yooree Kim, who was sent to France in 1984 under false pretenses and endured physical and sexual abuse. Advocates argue that many adoptees continue to face barriers in accessing the truth about their origins or reconnecting with biological families, with legal and legislative obstacles hindering accountability.
The government’s response focuses on future improvements rather than addressing past violations. Human rights lawyers representing victims called the measures “perfunctory,” noting that previous legislative efforts, including removing statutes of limitation for human rights violations, were blocked or remain uncertain under new administration policies.
South Korea’s adoption program, which sent an estimated 200,000 children abroad, was historically enabled by private agencies under military governments, with limited oversight and frequent manipulation of children’s backgrounds. The U.N. and human rights advocates are pressing the country to confront this history, ensure reparations, and provide transparency for those affected.
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