Report Exposes the Painful History of International Adoption.

This article focuses on the findings of South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) regarding abuses in the country's international adoption system, including document fabrication, misrepresentation of children as orphans, and lack of biological family consent. It traces the origins of systematic international adoption to the post-Korean War era, when American families began adopting mixed-race Korean children, and explains how South Korea’s adoption practices influenced global adoption systems. The report highlights ongoing concerns about coercion, fraud, and the exploitation of vulnerable families, as well as the need for official apologies and legal reforms, including U.S. citizenship protections for adoptees. Despite South Korea’s reduction in international adoptions, the legacy of its adoption system continues to shape international practices and calls for transparency and redress.