South Korea moves to end 'baby exports,' state to take full responsibility - The Korea Herald

Starting July 19, the government will take full responsibility for adoptions, ending 70 years of privately run placements In just a few days, South Korea will officially end its decadeslong practice of allowing private agencies to handle adoptions and begin a new era in which the state takes primary responsibility for the process, grounded in public oversight and the protection of children’s rights. The shift is more than a bureaucratic change. It is a historical reckoning. For over 70 years, beginning in the aftermath of the Korean War, South Korea sent more than 170,000 children overseas for adoption, a number some experts say is closer to 250,000 when unofficial records are considered. This made Korea one of the most prolific “exporters” of children in the world. Data and records show that countless children who did not truly need to be sent away were “exported” for adoption. "There are some babies that should not have been sent overseas for adoption," said Helen Noh, professor emer

Starting July 19, the government will take full responsibility for adoptions, ending 70 years of privately run placements In just a few days, South Korea will officially end its decadeslong practice of allowing private agencies to handle adoptions and begin a new era in which the state takes primary responsibility for the process, grounded in public oversight and the protection of children’s rights. The shift is more than a bureaucratic change. It is a historical reckoning. For over 70 years, beginning in the aftermath of the Korean War, South Korea sent more than 170,000 children overseas for