Please Note This Page Is Written For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees Specifically.
However Some Aspects May Be Applicable For ALL Korean Adoptees.
This page is written for KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees SPECIFICALLY. Please DO NOT contact KSS if KSS is NOT your Korean Adoption Agency!
This information is NOT primarily written for Adoptees who were adopted through:
Holt
Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) - previously Eastern Child Welfare Society (ECWS)
Social Welfare Society (SWS) - now Korea Welfare Society (KWS)
On The Disappointments Of Birth Family Search.
*Please Note: While this post is geared toward KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, this message may also be useful for Korean Adoptees generally.
There is no way around it - birth family search can often be hard, even brutally so. We wanted to address some of the possible disappointing birth family search scenarios, and the complicated feelings a KSS Adoptee might experience while undergoing the birth family search process through KSS.
File Review at KSS’ Post Adoption Services Building in Seoul:
Have you recently visited KSS in Seoul and had a bit of an unpleasant visit? Please know that you are not alone. KSS social workers are not always known to be nice. Rather, you may have been treated coldly or rudely, and you may have shed some tears of frustration upon coming to realize how little information you are able to get from KSS in person. Please know, at least until KSS files move to NCRC (The National Center for the Rights of the Child) starting in July 2025, the best and ONLY way to get information (paperwork) from KSS is via the “OPTION D” Method which we describe in STEP 7 of the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” halfway down the page here:
Step by Step Korea Social Service (KSS) Birth Family Search
You can only request ONE document at a time via the “Option D” Method.
*Please note that you can request BOTH a birth family search AND your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” at the SAME TIME - this should be your FIRST request to KSS.
However, following KSS’ fulfillment of this FIRST request, you can ADDITIONALLY request ONE document at a time from KSS via the “Option D” Method, which is described in STEP 7 in the link above. Please be sure to note that you have to WAIT for KSS to fulfill one request BEFORE submitting ANOTHER. We recommend resubmitting BOTH of KSS’ forms for EACH “Option D” Request.
*Please note that simply verbally asking KSS in an email to “provide all adoption documents” will NEVER work with KSS. You MUST submit your requests to KSS via their official birth family search forms, or you will NOT get information from them. Visiting KSS in person does NOT typically help you to get documents from KSS, though there may be a few exceptions - everyone’s case may be different, but MOST KSS Adoptees will NOT get important documents in person from KSS.
IF your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” DOES NOT have birth parent information.
Unfortunately, not every KSS Adoptee’s formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” has birth parent information. If this is the case, we know how disappointing this can be. If it is any consolation, this writer’s “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” did not have birth parent information. However, it did have additional information which was NOT included in our English Adoptive Child Study Summary, and this information was worth obtaining.
To address this particular disappointment, we have previously written this page:
What To Do If Your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary Does Not Have Birth Parent Info.
However, we know of MANY KSS Adoptees whose English Adoptive Child Study Summary said the child was supposedly “abandoned” and found with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in their “clothings” (sic) but whose formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” has birth parent information.
Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” has birth parent information is to request this document from KSS via their two official forms. We strongly recommend that you request BOTH a birth family search AND your “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” at the SAME TIME from KSS BY EARLY 2025. To do so please see the “Illustrated Step By Step Guide” halfway down this page:
Step by Step Korea Social Service (KSS) Birth Family Search
IF your English Adoptive Child Study Summary said you were “abandoned”, but your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” had birth parent information, which KSS partly redacted (per strictly followed Korean privacy law).
IF KSS initiated a birth family search, but either KSS could not find the birth parent/s, or the birth parent/s did not respond or could not be contacted. Or IF you were told that one or both birth parents had died, but were not given further information.
We know how hard it may be to learn that your English Adoptive Child Study Summary said you were “abandoned” and that you had NO birth parent information - when your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” DID HAVE birth parent information which KSS hid all along. This is shocking enough, but when you get your hopes up after officially requesting a birth family search AND your formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” - and hearing back from KSS and receiving disappointing news about their search, this can be devastating. Unfortunately, you are not alone in this experience.
First, it is important to understand that falsification in both the English and Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary documents was common. This could have been for a number of reasons:
KSS falsified information themselves when the documents were originally created to make birth parent/s impossible to locate, or to hide the true origins of a child.
KSS often did not verify the true identity of the birth parent/s or birth relative/s who relinquished a child. KSS also did not often seem to collect / record the Korean ID numbers of the birth parent/s or birth relative/s, which would have made them much easier to find.
Korean birth parent/s or another birth relative who relinquished the child for adoption may have left false information in order to disguise their true identities.
*KSS Adoptees can request a NEW birth family search ONCE PER YEAR:
If KSS does not have accurate or enough information to go on to conduct a birth family search, then KSS always tells the Adoptee that their case is “CLOSED”. However, what KSS does NOT tell the Adoptee is that the Adoptee can request a NEW birth family search ONCE PER YEAR - either through KSS (until KSS files begin to move to NCRC in July 2025 - we STRONGLY RECOMMEND requesting a birth family search through KSS no later than EARLY 2025 to give them adequate time to respond) - or through NCRC.
A birth parent does not respond to a KSS birth family search attempt:
If KSS attempts a birth family search, but the birth parent/s do not respond to the 3 registered letters which KSS sends to the last known address of the birth parent/s as part of ONE birth family search attempt, this can often feel devastating for a KSS Adoptee. Adoptees may naturally assume that their birth parent/s simply do not care for them, and may experience a deep sense of rejection.
However, because KSS’ birth family search process is NOT transparent, many KSS Adoptees do not not know that MANY possible circumstances may result in birth parent/s NOT responding to KSS’ attempts to contact them:
KSS may have an old or incorrect address. The birth parent/s may not even live there anymore, and therefore would not have received any letters from KSS.
KSS letter/s may get lost in the mail or sent to the wrong address.
A letter by KSS may be received by the birth parent/s, but be incorrectly seen as spam. The birth parent/s may simply throw away the letter not knowing of its importance.
The wrong person may have intercepted the letter/s, with either innocuous or negative unintended consequences (such as the outing of a birth parent whose previous relinquishment of a child may be a secret).
It may be a secret that the birth parent/s relinquished a child for adoption. A birth mother or birth father may be remarried, and the child relinquished for adoption may be a secret from the new spouse. In Korea, women have few rights, and a birth mother who is outed as having relinquished a child may end up on the street, if her new husband or family has a negative reaction to the discovery of this secret.
It is possible that a birth parent receives KSS’ letters, but feels too guilty or overwhelmed by the possibility of contact by a child (now an adult) whom they previously relinquished. KSS Adoptees often don’t know that it can often take a lot of work to get a birth parent to meet, due to the birth parent/s’ overwhelming sense of guilt and grief.
It is always possible that the birth parent/s are disabled, too old, or deceased, in which case, they could not respond to any letters from KSS.
Many birth parent/s were told by unscrupulous doctors and midwives that their child had “died”, who later sent the child for adoption. Such birth parent/s would not be aware that their child had lived, nor that the child had been sent for adoption.
And it is always possible that the birth parent/s simply aren’t good people, and do not desire to be in reunion with a child whom they previously relinquished for adoption.
*Please Note: KSS Adoptees can request the delivery receipts of the 3 registered letters sent to the birth parent/s as proof that KSS made attempts to contact the birth parent/s.
KSS responds that one or both birth parent/s are dead, but does not provide evidence or further information:
One of the worst aspects of birth family search is that when KSS informs a KSS Adoptee that the birth parent/s have passed away, KSS rarely if ever provides any further information or proof that the birth parent/s died. Nor does KSS often (if ever) provide information about where the birth parent/s are buried, or where their remains may be. Korean Adoption Agencies are by law supposed to provide more information about deceased birth parent/s, but they rarely comply. For the KSS Adoptee, this can result in an unresolved, ambiguous sense of loss, which is wholly unfair and unethical on the part of KSS.
It is because KSS Adoptees so often experience disappointments in the birth family search process through the “paperwork route” that we call this the “Paper Trail of Tears”.
Because KSS so often falsified the adoption paperwork of Adoptees, we always say that “DNA is the ONLY TRUTH”.
We strongly recommend taking ALL possible DNA tests.
DNA Testing:
We know that many Korean Adoptees have apprehensions about taking DNA tests due to highly valid data privacy concerns. This writer has taken 23 and Me, Ancestry, FTDNA, MyHeritage, and has taken the Korean Missing Persons DNA Test at a Police Station in Korea.
Our philosophy on DNA testing is: IF we had any other viable option for finding birth family / blood relatives, we would NOT take DNA tests. However, given that this writer - like many Korean Adoptees - has NO possibility of finding birth family through the adoption paperwork route (which we call the paper trail of tears), we made the decision several years ago to take the risk of taking ALL possible DNA tests. As a result, we have enjoyed meeting many DNA relatives around the world.
DNA testing is a matter of perspective - many Korean Adoptees are unfortunately hugely disappointed if they do not immediately find birth parent/s through DNA testing. This possibility of finding direct birth parents through commercial US DNA testing is low, considering that DNA testing is not nearly as popular in Korea as it is in the US and in parts of the West. However, Korean Adoptees have a 100% possibility of finding at least SOME blood relatives through DNA testing. DNA Testing is a LONG GAME - you will get MANY MORE matches over time. If you are patient, you may be rewarded with a closer match. We strongly recommend that Korean Adoptees DO NOT mention that they are Adopted in their DNA profile, and that they not immediately mention that they are Adopted to any DNA relatives to whom they reach out. Telling a DNA relative (no matter how distantly related) that you are an Adoptee before a relationship of trust has been established can easily scare off the DNA relative.
Because so much Korean Adoptee adoption paperwork is falsified, we cannot more strongly recommend that any Korean Adoptees with an interest in birth family search take ALL possible DNA tests.
Previously, the workflow for DNA testing we have recommended has been:
Take *23 and Me and Ancestry first, then transfer raw data for FREE from Ancestry to FTDNA (the test which has been distributed for years by 325Kamra) and MyHeritage. You can also choose to transfer your raw data to GEDMatch.
*Please Note: 23 and Me is in DEEP financial trouble. Please read articles online regarding its status as a company. Unfortunately, 23 and Me has the MOST Korean DNA in its database. This writer has over 900 relative matches on 23 and Me. If 23 and Me closes as a company, this is a HUGE tragedy for Korean Adoptees. We recommend that if you currently have your data on 23 and Me, that you download your raw data and store it digitially somewhere safe.
Our current DNA Advice: Take Ancestry first, then transfer raw data for FREE from Ancestry to FTDNA (the test which has been distributed for years by 325Kamra) and MyHeritage. You can also choose to transfer your raw data to GEDMatch.
*If you are comfortable taking the risk of taking 23 and Me, we recommend doing so - as this test contains the MOST Korean DNA of all the major US DNA databases. You could potentially miss out on your closest matches if you do not take this test before the company closes. Having said that, you should read about the risks about what may happen to your DNA data should 23 and Me close.
Please see this page for more information about DNA Testing:
DNA Testing
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Requirements for the Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test:PLEASE NOTE: IF you plan to visit Korea soon, and wish to take the “Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test” at a Police Station in Korea, you must request your “ADOPTION CERTIFICATE” from your Korean Adoption Agency. The “ADOPTION CERTIFICATE” is NOT an historical document, and is only good for 3 months from the time of issue. Korean Police Stations often REQUIRE this document in order for a Korean Adoptee to take their DNA test. Please read more about DNA testing in the section below.
PLEASE NOTE: You can also take the “Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test” at a Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption. You MUST request your “NCRC Certificate” from NCRC in order to do so. Please contact NCRC for the “NCRC Certificate”. It may take at least 4 months to hear back from them, so try to plan accordingly. NCRC has just 2-3 birth family search workers to handle ALL Korean Adoptee requests from around the world. Please ORGANIZE your thoughts and what you plan to write in your email to NCRC BEFORE you email NCRC! Please DO NOT barrage them with disorganized requests! To contact NCRC, please see:
How To Use NCRC For Birth Family SearchPLEASE NOTE: You may have difficulty taking the “Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test” at a Police Station in Korea OR at Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption IF you have birth parent information in your English and / or Korean adoption file. Up until recently, in order to be able to take this test, Korean Adoptees must be considered truly “abandoned” or a “missing person” - meaning, neither their English nor Korean adoption files can contain birth parent information in order for the Korean Adoptee to take the test. The cruel irony of this is that many Korean Adoptees may have birth parent information in their Korean adoption file without their previously being AWARE of it, “thanks” to the mass orphanization of Korean children for international adoption. The “Adoption Certificate” from your Korean Adoption Agency and your “NCRC Certificate” from NCRC will specify whether or not you are eligible to take the “Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test”.
While recently, supposedly the requirement to be “Abandoned” or a “Missing Person” in order to be allowed to take the “Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test” was supposedly revoked and the policy changed to allow more Korean Adoptees to take this test, in PRACTICE, this has not proven to be as easy. You may be denied the opportunity to take this test - it is luck of the draw. Please see:
The Korean Police Missing Persons DNA Test Opens To More Adoptees!
Please see the following page for more info:
DNA Testing
We recommend that you gather as much possible information about your adoption, even if birth parent/s may not be possible to find.
US Adoptees can file a FREE FOIA request.
For US Adoptees ONLY - FREE FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Request:
If you are a US Adoptee, we cannot more strongly suggest that you file a FREE FOIA request. Please note that a FOIA request is a request for US immigration documents - because Korean Adoptees were adopted across international borders, the US immigration documents of Korean Adoptees often contain DOZENS OF PAGES of adoption documents. Making a FREE FOIA request does NOT initiate any birth family search through either your Korean or US Adoption Agency. It is a US immigration records request only.
We cannot more strongly suggest that US Korean Adoptees with an interest in birth family search make a FREE FOIA request as soon as possible. This is because information contained in your FOIA documents may not be contained in the adoption documents you currently have in your possession.
Please see this page for more info, and please read the entire page CAREFULLY BEFORE FILING A FREE FOIA REQUEST:
We wish that the KSS birth family search process were not so hard. Because it is, we strongly recommend that you both seek out community, and mental health resources if needed. We also recommend that you take breaks when you need them.
KSS Adoptees are strongly encouraged to join the PRIVATE KSS Adoptee ONLY forum KSS Cribmates. Please be sure to answer the membership questions. If you are not sure whether or not your are a KSS Adoptee, please email us at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com
Perserverence Is Key.
Birth family search is not easy. Any Korean Adoptee who starts down the road of birth family search expecting it to be easy may too easily quit when the going gets rough. It’s best to expect challenges, so that you can try to be strong enough to overcome them. Birth family search often takes creativity, grit, and perserverence.
Even those who successfully find and reconnect with birth family face a long and difficult road ahead which is not all “sunshine, butterflies and roses”.
We hope that you will persevere when the going gets tough. But we also hope that you take care of your mental health and that you take breaks when things become overwhelming.
Birth family search is a long road, but there are many Korean Adoptees who are willing to share their stories and experiences.
If you are a KSS Adoptee, you can reach out to us at: paperslipadoptee@gmail.com
We will try to lend a hand.
Contact and / or visit your “Feeder Orphanage”:
If your adoption documents say that you were previously housed at an ORPHANANGE prior to being transferred to the KSS Receiving Home (which is / was KSS’ main campus in Seoul) then you can check our list of KSS “Feeder Orphanages” to see if your orphanage is mentioned. Please see:
Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List
Many of these “feeder orphanages” for KSS are still open / operational and you can contact them by email for information or set up an appointment with a translator to visit them in Korea.
For example, Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan was a common “feeder orphanage” which was listed in the English adoption documents of KSS Adoptees. Nam Kwang is still open in Busan and they are responsive by email. Please see the above link for their contact info. You can simply send Nam Kwang an email in English with some identifying adoption documents - you do not need to fill out any forms - and request information from them via email. They seem to be very quickly responsive via email. Your individual experience will vary in terms of how much information you may (or may not) receive from them.
"Boots on the ground” search in Korea:
Plan to do “on the ground” search if you are able to go to Korea. Please see:
Pro-Active Birth Family Search Tips for KSS (Korea Social Service) and ALL Korean Adoptees
Request Your Korean Registration Documents:
Locate your original Korean Travel Document (“Passport” or Travel Certificate) and learn how to IDENTIFY your “Personal Number” / Korean “National ID” Number AND your “Passport” / Travel Certificate / Travel ID Number. You can potentially use the “Personal Number” / Korean “National ID” Number at either a Gucheong Center (구청) in Korea OR at a Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption to request specific Korean Registration documents by their KOREAN name. For more info please see:
NEW! How To Use Your Original Korean Passport or Travel Certificate Number For Birth Family Search
Please read the ENTIRE page above CAREFULLY BEFORE visiting a Gucheong Center (구청) in Korea OR at a Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption as the process may be a bit complex, AND you need to be prepared with specific documents in order for this request to work.
VISIT KOREA - Either On Your Own Or As Part Of An ADOPTEE / MOTHERLAND TOUR:
If you have never been to Korea before, and have the ability to do so, we cannot more strongly recommend this.
There are many Korean Adoptee Tours. The ones which we most recommend are:
Mosaic Tour
The tour always happens in the Summer. You must apply by the December PRECEDING the Summer you wish to go on the tour. This is a VERY popular tour, and you are unfortunately not guaranteed a spot. Those who have been recommended by prior Mosaic Tour participants have a higher chance of getting on the tour. If you have interest in this tour and are a KSS Adoptee, please contact us at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com. We will not recommend anyone with whom we have not had at least prior Zoom contact.
GOAL First Trip Home or Sotdae
You must join GOAL to participate in their Homeland Tour/s. Please see their website for more information.
More tours are listed on Korean Adoptee Resource Hub here:
Motherland Tours
*Please note we DO NOT recommend INKAS.
Please do your own research into these tours before applying.
Further Resources:
For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY:
Step by Step Korea Social Service (KSS) Birth Family Search
For ALL Korean Adoptees (INCLUDING KSS / Korea Social Service Adotpees):
Links To Information Relevant To ALL Korean Adoptees
*Please be sure to visit the “IMPORTANT NEWS” Dropdown on Paperslip’s home page, in order to keep up with fast changing events in the world of Korean Adoptees. The most recent news appears at the top.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Something we often to say to Korean Adoptees, many of whom are understandably frustrated in their birth family search:
Birth family search is only over when we stop trying.
But also:
There is MUCH more to Korea than birth family search.
We think it is unbelievably valuable for a Korean Adoptee to visit / engage with Korean culture whether or not they have interest in or have success with birth family search.
The country of Korea is a part of you. It can be incredibly meaningful for many Korean Adoptees to explore this part of their heritage, no matter what the outcome of birth family search.