Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Investigation into adoptee's human rights abuses case ends after suspect dies

A victim of human rights abuses in Korea's past intercountry adoption process filed a criminal complaint against the adoption worker involved in her case, but the investigation ended after the worker died.

2026-04-07

8 months, 0 child placements: Gov't adoption system looks to speed up 'bottlenecks'

Korea's new state-run adoption system has led to zero child placements in eight months, causing delays for hundreds of waiting children and prospective parents amid heightened scrutiny and administrative challenges.

2026-03-21

Gov't unveils details of child policy plan, including phasing out overseas adoption

The adoption of Korean minors by families overseas will be phased out by 2029 at the latest, with the Korean government taking a firm stance against fraudulent or illegal adoption practices.

2025-12-26

Woman sentenced to six months for illegal adoption and then giving up baby to third party

A woman was sentenced to prison for illegally adopting a newborn from a single mother and handing the baby over to another person just three days later, allegedly because her husband opposed the adoption.

2025-12-10

Woman gets suspended sentence for illegally purchasing newborn, abusing child

A 36-year-old woman who illegally purchased a newborn for 288,000 won ($200), physically abused the child and failed to register the baby's birth was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

2025-10-12

President offers apology to overseas adoptees for past rights violations

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday apologized for the failure of past governments to protect the rights of overseas adoptees and vowed stronger efforts to safeguard them.

2025-10-02

After 30 years, Korea joins international adoption convention

Korea has formally joined the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 30 years after the treaty took effect.

2025-10-01

Woman seeks compensation from Korea over her forced adoption to France in 1984

A 52-year-old woman who was adopted to a French family in 1984 without her biological parents’ consent has filed for compensation from Korea’s government, citing how authorities at the time fraudulently documented her as an orphan.

2025-08-28

Adoptees left with mixed feelings, unanswered questions as Korean government reins in 'baby exports'

Recent reforms in Korea transfer authority over adoptions to the government, aiming to improve transparency and ethical standards after decades of private agency control that often left adoptees and birth families without clear records.

2025-07-20

Sweden faces call to halt international adoptions after inquiry finds abuses and fraud

A Swedish commission recommended on Monday that international adoptions be stopped after an investigation found a series of abuses and fraud dating back decades, many cases of which involved Korean children.

2025-06-02