8 months, 0 child placements: Gov't adoption system looks to speed up 'bottlenecks'
Published: 21 Mar. 2026, 07:00
![Adoption advocacy groups hold a news conference criticizing administrative delays in front of the National Human Rights Commission in Jung District, central Seoul, on March 19. [KIM NAM-YOUNG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/21/aecfb197-d8da-457f-847c-33e16f0cf7a8.jpg)
Adoption advocacy groups hold a news conference criticizing administrative delays in front of the National Human Rights Commission in Jung District, central Seoul, on March 19. [KIM NAM-YOUNG]
Korea’s sweeping shift to a state-run adoption system, introduced to strengthen oversight and protect children, has sharply slowed approvals and left hundreds of children waiting in institutions — along with prospective parents in prolonged uncertainty.
For months, one prospective adoptive parent preparing to welcome a second child has heard little about the application’s progress. Applying shortly after the overhaul took effect last July, the applicant has yet to be matched with a child.
“I completed the adoptive parent training and went through all the steps, but I don’t even know whether my case has been submitted to the [Ministry of Health and Welfare's Adoption Policy Committee],” the prospective parent said. “I’ve contacted the National Center for the Rights of the Child several times, and all they tell me is to wait.”
Another prospective adoptive parent worries about the impact of the delay on the child. “We want to bring the child home as soon as possible to build attachment and help them adjust, but I worry they will have to wait too long in a facility,” the person said.
Their concerns reflect a broader slowdown that has followed the government’s transition from a private agency-led adoption system to one managed directly by the state.
Korea approved 126 adoptions in 2025 — including 102 domestic and 24 overseas cases — the lowest figure on record, according to data released Wednesday by Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party. Government data shows a steady decline in recent years, from 324 adoptions in 2022 to 229 in 2023 and 212 in 2024.
But the most striking shift has come since the new system took effect. Not a single case filed under the revised framework has resulted in a child being placed with a family. All approvals last year came from applications initiated under the previous system.
As of March 4, 279 children eligible for adoption remained in institutions or foster care, according to the National Center for the Rights of the Child, which now oversees the process.
![An adoptee reads nametags of adoptees at a monument in Paju, Gyeonggi, on June 14, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/21/740784c2-4799-471d-b0d0-7aef7f87a660.jpg)
An adoptee reads nametags of adoptees at a monument in Paju, Gyeonggi, on June 14, 2025. [YONHAP]
Officials attribute the slowdown to administrative bottlenecks. A surge in applications during the early stages of the new system, combined with additional screening procedures, has lengthened processing times. The revised framework requires external experts to review the qualifications of prospective parents, a step intended to increase transparency and prevent abuse.
"The government has prioritized finding the most suitable homes for children, emphasizing that adoption decisions can shape a child’s entire life," a Health Ministry official said.
Yet on the ground, child welfare workers say the delays carry their own risks. One official at a Seoul-based facility noted that “in Korea, there is a strong preference for adopting infants, so once a child is over a year old, the chances of adoption become very slim.”
Advocacy groups have grown more vocal in their criticism. Twelve organizations, including the Korea Adoptive Family Alliance, held a rally last month outside the National Center for the Rights of the Child, calling attention to prolonged delays under the new system.
“The government is missing the golden time for adoption,” said Oh Chang-hwa, head of the Korea Adoptive Family Alliance.
“The government must do its best to ensure that all children grow up in families, not institutions,” said Yoo Bo-yeon, head of Solidarity for Normalization of Adoption (translated).
The groups filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission on Thursday, accusing the Health Ministry and the National Center for the Rights of the Child of violating children’s right to grow up in a family after administrative failures and inadequate preparation.
![Adoption advocacy groups hold a rally in front of the National Center for the Rights of the Child in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Feb. 25. [KIM NAM-YOUNG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/21/03fb3d51-7023-4b5b-82e1-34f5c412df59.jpg)
Adoption advocacy groups hold a rally in front of the National Center for the Rights of the Child in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Feb. 25. [KIM NAM-YOUNG]
Experts say the tension reflects a difficult balance. Stricter oversight, they argue, is necessary to prevent abuse, citing past cases in which adopted children suffered fatal mistreatment. At the same time, prolonged delays can undermine children’s chances of forming stable attachments.
“Previously, private adoption agencies often conducted the process with a focus on adoptive parents rather than the child,” Noh Hye-ryeon, an emeritus professor of social welfare at Soongsil University, said. “The public system is based on the idea that the state should take responsibility for finding families that can provide better care than the child’s birth family.”
Still, some specialists warn that the system’s growing pains require urgent attention.
“Private adoption agencies have decades of experience handling adoptions,” Jung Jae-hoon, a professor of social welfare at Seoul Women’s University, said. “The government should work with them to reduce administrative bottlenecks and resolve the delays.”
Rep. Kim echoed those concerns, saying “the problems were entirely foreseeable” as the government overhauled a decades-old system without securing sufficient specialized personnel.
"The government should make active use of private-sector expertise," she said, adding that "if prospective adoptive parents meet the requirements, they should be matched with a child quickly, with a more thorough review of parenting capacity and home environment carried out later during the family court approval process."
![Parents look at products at a baby fair held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 17, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/21/0a17dcce-525a-4dce-9be7-362d91ff477d.jpg)
Parents look at products at a baby fair held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 17, 2025. [YONHAP]
Facing mounting criticism, the Health Ministry on Thursday announced a set of measures aimed at speeding up the process and improving transparency.
The ministry said it would double the number of meetings held by the subcommittee for domestic adoption, from once to twice a month, and introduce an online system allowing prospective parents to track the progress of their applications.
Officials also plan to streamline home studies by improving investigative methods and reallocating personnel.
Beginning next month, the ministry will shift from a registered mail application process to an online system, and increase the frequency of mandatory adoption training sessions from twice a month to once a week. Training will also expand to regional areas to improve access outside Seoul.
The ministry said the changes aim to reduce inconvenience for prospective parents and stabilize the operation of the new system.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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