A recent investigation by South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has exposed significant violations in the nation’s foreign adoption programme. This thorough inquiry spanned nearly three years and involved complaints from 367 individuals among approximately 140,000 South Korean children adopted internationally, in countries like Denmark, the United States, and Australia. The findings, released on Wednesday, confirm that fundamental human rights of the adoptees, as enshrined in both the constitution and international treaties, were seriously breached.
The commission discovered collusion between local adoption agencies and their foreign counterparts, aiming to fulfil a quota for international adoptions. Children were often procured through dubious methods, leading to cases where their identities and family histories were obscured or distorted. Park Sun-young, the chairperson of the commission, stated that systemic failings allowed these grave violations to occur, affecting not just adoptees but also their biological families, particularly birth mothers.
Park elaborated that the impact of the Korean War (1950-53) spurred the government towards a troubling reliance on intercountry adoptions for economic reasons, aligning with a fast-paced culture that resulted in haphazard legal frameworks. Some adopted children ended up in unsuitable homes, with foreign authorities deeming some adoptive parents unfit, triggering extensive legal battles to remove their parental rights.
The horrendous practice of substituting identities arose, where agencies would replace deceased or reclaimed children with others to hasten adoptions, thus egregiously infringing on the natural rights of these children. In light of these findings, the commission has called upon the government to apologise formally, offer reparations, and endorse The Hague Convention to safeguard children in intercountry adoptions. Despite the severity of the report, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has yet to comment, with some adoptees expressing disappointment over the report’s perceived inadequacy in implicating governmental accountability.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation revealed serious violations in South Korea’s foreign adoption programme, including collusion between local and foreign agencies. The inquiry, addressing complaints from 367 adoptees, highlighted breaches of human rights and systemic flaws in the adoption process. Recommendations include a formal apology from the government and ratifying The Hague Convention on intercountry adoption.
The investigation into South Korea’s foreign adoption programme has highlighted serious human rights violations, revealing a disturbing pattern of collusion between local and foreign agencies. Recommendations for an official apology and measures to remedy past grievances represent a call for accountability in a system often devoid of oversight. The findings invite a necessary dialogue and shift towards safeguarding the rights and identities of adoptees, ensuring such violations do not recur.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
