Women’s Forum / Naver Article:
“No Victimization Without Documents? The Contradictions and Hypocrisy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission”.
[Women's Forum] “No Victimization Without Documents?…The Contradictions and Hypocrisy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission”
Posted to Paperslip on March 29th, 2025.
Translation via ChatGPT.
Vis a vis Adoptees' chronic lack of documents - this gives context to that now famous photo of Yooree KIM kneeling before the Chairwoman of the TRC, begging her to strengthen its recommendations:
For context, while 98 of 367 cases were reviewed by the TRC, just 56 of the 98 cases were deemed to have human rights violations. The remaining 42 of the 98 cases are now "pending" due to lack of documentation to prove human rights violations.
However, Adoptees' inherent lack of documentation, or lack of access to documentation, is an inherent human rights abuse itself.
Since the current TRC concludes in May 2025, if there is no new TRC formed by the new S. Korean government, then effectively 311 of the original 367 cases submitted to the TRC will be tossed out.
”Published: March 27, 2025, 5:36 PM
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has decided to investigate the truth behind overseas adoptions... revealing its limitations. Among 98 adoptees, 42 have not received recognition for their victimization due to "insufficient documentation."
On March 26, during a press conference at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the past history of human rights violations in the overseas adoption process, adoptee Yooree KIM knelt before Chairperson Park Sun-young, appealing for the truth to be uncovered. ⓒYonhap News
Among the 367 adoptees sent to 11 countries from 1964 to 1999, investigations were requested regarding illegal practices carried out during the overseas adoption process. The "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" (hereinafter referred to as the Truth Commission) initially conducted an investigation on 98 individuals, announcing the results for 56 of those identified as victims on March 26.
The Truth Commission acknowledged that information about the original identities and families of children was lost, distorted, or falsely documented during the overseas adoption process, and that proper protective measures were not taken after the children were sent abroad, preventing adoptees from receiving the rights guaranteed by our constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Specifically, issues included the lack of proper adoption consent, falsified reports of child neglect, manipulation of records, intentional identity switching, and inadequate screening of adoptive parents. It was also revealed that Western European countries, as receiving nations, provided donations to Korean adoption agencies to secure adopted children.
"Now Danes can once again 'purchase' children from Korea. A healthy child from Korea costs about 10,000 DKK, while a child with disabilities can be acquired for 3,600 DKK. The same costs apply for children adopted from Bangladesh, Central America, and India." (Danish daily EKSTRA BLADET, November 26, 1975.)
An article in the Danish daily EKSTRA BLADET dated November 26, 1975, stated that a healthy child from Korea costs about 10,000 DKK, while a child with disabilities can be purchased for 3,600 DKK. ⓒTruth Commission provided ⓒProvided by the individual
Despite broadly acknowledging the responsibilities of adoption agencies, the state, and international actors regarding illegal and inadequate adoptions, the Truth Commission concluded that 42 of the 98 individuals under investigation were effectively not victims due to "insufficient documentation," excluding them from recognition.
While acknowledging that the illegal practices of adoption agencies, government complicity, and collaboration from Western societies allowed these issues to occur over decades, concluding that 42 individuals did not suffer harm due to lack of sufficient documentation constitutes secondary victimization.
The very situation of being separated from one’s birth family, leaving one’s country of origin, and not knowing one's birth information is itself a form of victimization. In other words, the existence of adoptees serves as evidence of this harm.
Therefore, the announcement of the Truth Commission's investigative results is filled with contradictions and hypocrisy. The Commission undermined its own efforts over the past two years.
In the presentation of the investigation results, adoptee Yooree KIM kneeled, requesting stronger recommendations for the restoration of adoptee rights, tearfully pleading, "Please reconsider." Many foreign media outlets captioned this scene as "Chairperson Park comforting the adoptee," but it more accurately depicts a flustered Park attempting to calm the adoptee.
The fact that 42 adoptees were not recognized as victims due to insufficient documentation indicates a regression in the work of truth and reconciliation regarding past history. We urge that their suffering be recognized even now and that just decisions be made for adoptees to move forward towards true truth and reconciliation.
Kwon Hee-jung, Director of the Unwed Mothers' Archiving and Advocacy Research Institute ⓒProvided by the individual
*The views of external contributors may not align with the editorial direction of this publication.
Kwon Hee-jung, Director of the Unwed Mothers' Archiving and Advocacy Research Institute lhn21@womennews.co.kr”