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

Documentary 'K-Number' explores Korea's painful history of overseas adoption

“K-Number,” released last Wednesday, revisits Korea’s controversial history of international adoptions, focusing not on emotional reunions or tragic backstories, but on the broader system that once sent some 200,000 children abroad.

2025-05-20

After hundreds of thousands of adoptions, gov't to take over process

Twelve years after Korea signed an international treaty designating the state responsible for overseeing adoption procedures, the country is finally set to implement a revised system that puts the government in charge.

2025-05-13

Teacher honored by gov't for raising awareness about children with special needs

A special education teacher who adopted a child with developmental challenges was honored with a Prime Minister’s Commendation last week for his advocacy work promoting adoption and raising awareness about slow learners.