Note:
*While this website is mostly geared toward Adoptees who were adopted through the Korean Adoption Agency Korea Social Service (KSS), there is also information here which is relevant to ALL Korean Adoptees, regardless of their Korean Adoption Agency. This page is relevant to KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY!
KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee Alert:
KSS Adoption Files Will Likely Be Transferred to The Korean National Archives - Starting Around July 2025
Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees who have interest in birth family search and requesting their documents (including the KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary) should make their request by June 2025 at the latest. We believe it is very likely that KSS Adoption files will be moved from KSS to the National Archives in Korea.
This may mean that birth family search could look very different AFTER the movement / transfer of files from KSS to the National Archives. We do not know exactly what KSS birth family search will look like after the movement / transfer of KSS adoption files starting around July 2025, but we do not think that it will be better or easier than now - we think that it will possibly be worse / harder.
Please note that this does NOT mean that KSS Adoptees will NOT be allowed to do a birth family search AFTER KSS files are moved / transferred, likely to the National Archives. It just means that we do not know what the birth family search process will look like after KSS files are moved / transferred to the Korean government and we do NOT believe that the process will be easier once that occurs.
URGENT: KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY who have interest in birth family search and in requesting their KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary should request BOTH at the SAME time, following the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” on the Step By Step KSS Birth Family Search page here:
https://www.paperslip.org/step-by-step-kss-birth-family-search
We cannot more strongly recommend that KSS Adoptees with an interest in birth family search and requesting their KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary do so NOW - in 2024 or early 2025 - BEFORE KSS files are likely moved / transferred to the Korean National Archives.
Please CONTACT US with any questions if you are a KSS Adoptee:
paperslipadoptee@gmail.com
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If you are an Adoptee adopted through any of the KOREAN Adoption Agencies listed BELOW, you are NOT a KSS Adoptee!
Please see the Korean Adoptee Starter Guide and Birth Family Search Tips for ALL Korean Adoptees if you are adopted through any of the following KOREAN Adoption Agencies:
-HOLT Korea (not to be confused with Holt International, which is the Western Holt Adoption Agency)
-Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) - formerly Eastern Child Welfare Society (ECWS)
-Social Welfare Society (SWS) / now Korea Welfare Society (KWS)
Below: MOHW (Ministry of Health and Welfare) Press Release:
A Direct Link is not possible - you will have to page through until you find: Page 14, Serial No. of Post: 21528:
https://www.mohw.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10503000000&bid=0027&cg_code=
Partial Translation of PDF Attachment at Bottom: [Press Reference] “The country will prepare for adoption where children are…”
PDF LINK:
Ministry of Health and Welfare
Press Release Material
A New Republic of Korea! A New Country for the People
Press Time
For immediate use after distribution
Distributed on January 26, 2024 (Friday)
"Adoption with the Priority of Children, Prepared by the Nation"
Establishment of Adoption System Reform Committee, First Meeting (1.26)-
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Cho Gyu-hong) convened the first meeting of the 'Adoption System Reform Committee' at 10 a.m. on January 26 (Friday) in the conference room of the National Child Rights Protection Center (NCRC), chaired by the Director of Population and Child Policy.
This is to prepare for the smooth introduction of the new adoption system to be implemented in 2025, following the amendment of the 'Special Law on Domestic Adoption' and the 'Law on International Adoption' on July 18 last year, in preparation for implementation on July 19 next year. With the enforcement of the law, the responsibilities of the national and local governments will be strengthened for all aspects of adoption currently carried out by adoption agencies. The decision and protection of adoptive children will be carried out by local governments, and key procedures such as qualification assessment of prospective adoptive parents and matching will be deliberated and decided by the Adoption Policy Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Chairperson: Minister of Health and Welfare) based on the 'best interests of the child'.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has established the 'Adoption System Reform Committee' to gather opinions from the field and experts to prepare detailed implementation plans for the stable establishment of the reformed adoption system. The committee, chaired by the Director of Population Policy Division of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, includes relevant ministries and agencies, experts, and adoption and adoptive family organizations.
<Composition of the Committee>
▲ Relevant Ministries, etc.: Court Administration Office (related to adoption permits and temporary custody decisions), Ministry of Justice (related to acquisition of nationality in international adoption), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (related to the Hague Convention ratification), National Archives of Korea (management of adoption records), Local Governments (child protection) ▲ Relevant Agencies: Adoption Agencies, Social Welfare Corporations, National Child Rights Protection Center (NCRC), Social Security Information Institute
▲ Experts: Experts in the fields of child welfare, medical care, mental health, psychology, and law ▲ Civil Organizations: Korea Adoption Promotion Society, National Adoption Family Association, Overseas Adoption Association, etc. (organizations of adoptees and adoptive parents)
The committee plans to operate with a general meeting to discuss overall directions and review preparation statuses, as well as with specialized meetings to discuss specific reform plans for adoption procedures. Each specialized meeting will focus on domestic adoption system reform, establishment of the international adoption system, and support for system reform (such as establishing a record management system).
The recently held first meeting served as a general meeting to share information on the adoption system reform contents and directions, discuss operational plans for the committee including agenda items and operation schedules. Moving forward, specialized meetings will be held monthly or bi-monthly to discuss draft or amended subordinate regulations, detailed operational manuals, and system improvement matters. The general meetings will be held quarterly to review discussions from specialized meetings, aiming to finalize detailed implementation plans for the adoption system reform by the end of the year.
Hyun Soo-yeop, the Director of Population and Child Policy, stated, "In accordance with the enforcement date of the Special Law on Domestic Adoption and the Law on International Adoption, we plan to ratify the Hague International Child Adoption Convention, and will adhere to the adoption procedures stipulated by the convention domestically and internationally. We also plan to devise measures to activate domestic adoption based on the principle of prioritizing domestic adoption."
Furthermore, he expressed, "We will make every effort to thoroughly prepare for the adoption system reform so that the new adoption system can be implemented smoothly in 2025."
Attached:
Meeting Overview
Changes in performers before and after the adoption system reform by procedure
Responsible Department: Population Policy Division, Child Welfare Policy Division, and Adoption System Reform Team
Person in Charge: Team Leader Lee Yoo-ri (044-202-3411)
Contact: Office Worker Lee Hae-hee (044-202-3412)
Republic of Korea Policy Briefing
OPEN
Attachment 1 Meeting OverviewDate: January 26, 2023 (Friday) 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Venue: 7th Floor, International Conference Room, National Child Rights Protection Center
Host: Director of Population and Child Policy, Ministry of Health and Welfare
• Attendees:
• Ministry of Health and Welfare: Director of Population and Child Policy, Director of Child Welfare Policy Division, Head of Adoption System Reform Team, etc.
• National Child Rights Protection Center: Head of Child Protection Division
• Relevant Ministries and Local Governments: Head of Immigration Integration Division, Ministry of Justice; Administrative Officer, Judicial Support Office, Court Administration Office; Head of Child Protection Team, Gwanak District
• Academia and Experts: Professor Park Hyeon-seon, Department of Social Welfare, Sejong University; Professor Hyun So-hye, Graduate School of Law, Sungkyunkwan University; Assistant Research Fellow Lee Ju-yeon, Child and Family Policy Research Center, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs; Professor Jeon Ji-hyeon, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital
• Adoption Agencies: Head of Adoption Support Division, Korean Association of Social Workers; Welfare Manager, Dongbang Social Welfare Society; Head of Welfare Business, Holt Children's Welfare Association
• Civil Organizations: Representative, National Adoption Family Association; President, Korea Adoption Promotion Society
Please note that the final page of the PDF is a graphic, and that we did not translate it.