Acquiring Contracting State Status for the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption
President Lee: "The Government Will Be a Strong Safety Net"
"Suffering Caused by Irresponsible Agencies During Overseas Adoption; The State Has Failed in Its Role"
On October 2, President Lee Jaemyung addressed South Korea’s new status as a contracting state to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, which strengthens the nation’s responsibility for children adopted overseas. He stated, “The government will be a strong safety net for all adoptees.” He also instructed relevant ministries to make every effort to protect adoptees’ rights and to establish a human rights-centered adoption system.
Through a Facebook post on the same day, President Lee announced, “From today, the Republic of Korea officially holds the status of a contracting state to this convention.” The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption reinforces state responsibility for adoption and implements stricter international standards for intercountry adoption.
President Lee also recalled Korea’s past as a so-called “child-exporting country.” He said, “Our past is by no means something to be proud of on the way to fulfilling this long-overdue promise. At one time, Korea bore the shameful stigma of being a ‘child-exporting country.’ On behalf of the Republic of Korea, I offer my sincere apologies and words of comfort to all overseas adoptees and their families who have suffered as a result.”
He further stated, “Since the Korean War, more than 170,000 children have been adopted overseas, according to official records. Even in the 2020s, when Korea is considered an advanced nation, more than 100 children on average each year have had to leave for unfamiliar countries.”
He added, “While some have met warm and loving adoptive families, many others have suffered throughout their lives due to the irresponsibility and neglect of certain adoption agencies. My heart grows heavy when I think of those overseas adoptees who, at a young age and with little command of the Korean language, were sent alone to distant and unfamiliar lands, facing anxiety, pain, and confusion.”
President Lee also acknowledged cases of unjust human rights violations during the adoption process. “Recent court rulings and investigations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have confirmed that some overseas adoptions involved unjust human rights abuses,” he wrote, adding, “There is no denying that the state has, at times, failed to fulfill its responsibilities during these processes.”
He called on relevant ministries to work closely together to ensure the protection of adoptees’ rights and to establish a human rights-centered adoption system. President Lee also urged the development of effective support measures to help overseas adoptees trace their roots. “We will do our utmost so that adoptees, adoptive families, and birth families can live happier lives together,” he said.
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