United Nations human rights experts on Friday said South Korea has failed to adequately address alleged human rights violations linked to decades of overseas adoptions, raising concerns about stalled investigations and access to remedies for affected adoptees.
The statement followed the government’s submission of its response to a joint communication from UN Special Procedures mandate holders. The communication examined claims that intercountry adoptions were carried out through falsified records, a lack of parental consent, and insufficient state oversight, resulting in widespread rights violations. The UN experts said the response did not clearly demonstrate how adoptees would obtain effective remedies or how the state intends to guarantee rights to truth, reparations, and memorialization. They noted South Korea’s recent ratification of the Hague Adoption Convention but emphasized that the treaty does not absolve states of responsibility for historical violations.
According to information cited by the UN, adoption authority during key periods was delegated to private agencies operating with limited government supervision. These agencies allegedly fabricated or altered children’s identities and family histories to expedite overseas placements. The UN referenced Commission findings showing that in some peak years, more than 80 percent of emigration applications were approved on the day of submission.
Investigators also raised concerns over the suspension of an inquiry by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The investigation, which reviewed alleged abuses in adoption practices, was halted in April 2025 following internal disputes. The commission received 367 cases, and 311 remain unresolved.
The TRC has formally recognized multiple adoptees as victims of state failure. In their communication, the UN experts warned that continued suspension of the investigations could amount to a breach of international human rights obligations. They stressed that structural reforms must be accompanied by accountability and reparations for past harm. Peter Møller, co-representative of the Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG), said, “It is a milestone where the truth finally comes to light, and a milestone where we can begin to heal the wounds that have shaped the lives of many adopters for decades.”
Government officials have acknowledged the need for reform. First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Seuran stated that the transition of the adoption system into a public framework provides an opportunity to reassess the role of intercountry adoption. Human rights lawyer Choi Jung Kyu, representing adoptees, criticized the government’s response as insufficient, arguing that draft legislation fails to clearly define reparations.
South Korea facilitated the overseas adoption of an estimated 140,000 to 200,000 children between 1955 and 1999. During the 1970s and 1980s, military-era governments reportedly viewed intercountry adoption as a means of reducing welfare expenditures and managing children from marginalized backgrounds. Private agencies operated under quota-driven systems and benefited financially from placements.
South Korea approved foreign adoptions of 24 children in 2025, down from around 2,000 in 2005 and an annual average of more than 6,000 during the 1980s. The government has committed to ending foreign adoptions by 2029 and transitioning to a fully public domestic adoption framework. Authorities have also announced plans to establish a new Truth and Reconciliation Commission in February 2026 to review unresolved cases. Legislative amendments under consideration would remove statutes of limitation for related damage claims and establish standardized compensation mechanisms. The UN experts said that addressing the scale and duration of the adoption program remains essential for South Korea to meet its international human rights obligations.