The banner title reads, "Stopping Intercountry Adoption? What children need are families!"
I am so thankful for the people here defending the needs of intercountry adoption.
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While the government has announced a plan to completely
suspend international adoptions by 2029, adoptive families and civic groups
have pushed back, calling it an 'Unlawful decision that deprives children of
their rights to family.'
On December 30, civic groups, including the National
Solidarity for Adoptive Families - NSAF (led by Oh Chang-hwa), held a press
conference with Representative Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party at the
National Assembly Communication Hall, urging the immediate withdrawal of the
government's 'Zero International Adoption' policy.
During the event, Mr. Oh Chang-hwa criticized the move,
stating, 'The state has no right to take away children's "right to have a
family."' He added, 'The plan to reduce international adoptions to zero is
an act of administrative convenience that destroys children's lives and
directly violates the law and international conventions.'
The organizations pointed out that the government's policy
contradicts current laws and international norms. Oh emphasized, 'Neither the
International Adoption Act, which took effect in July 2025, nor the Hague
Convention on Intercountry Adoption, which came into force in October, contains
any provision allowing for the total suspension of international adoptions.' He
further stressed, 'The core of the convention is the principle that "a home
environment takes precedence over an institution."
In particular, concerns were raised that the suspension of
international adoption would effectively result in forcing children into
long-term institutional care. The organizations argued, ‘The reality in Korea
where blood-oriented culture remains strong, blocking the path to international
adoption is no different than sentencing children to live in institutions until
they reach adulthood,' adding, 'This policy strips away the "last chance
for a family" from children with disabilities or those who are difficult
to place for domestic adoption.'
Furthermore, they took issue with the government's
perception of the history of international adoption. Oh stated, 'The existence
of numerous adoptees who found new opportunities in life and are living happily
should not be denied simply because of a few painful and erroneous cases of international
adoption,' and added, 'Specifically, we must not ignore the cases where
children with disabilities—who are often avoided domestically—have formed
families while receiving treatment and care abroad.'
Through their press conference statement, the groups also
posed a public inquiry to the President. They stated, 'We want to ask whether
stopping international adoption is truly the best way to restore national
honor, or whether changing the reality where numerous children still grow up in
facilities without families is the true way to wash away our shame.'
They continued, 'What children need is not South Korean
nationality, but parents who will hold them tonight,' urging, 'The government
must immediately withdraw this policy, which prioritizes national face-saving
over a child's right to survival.'
The National Solidarity for Adoption Families and other
groups announced that they will continue to oppose the plan to completely halt
international adoptions and will persist in their activities to guarantee a
child's right to grow up in a family rather than an institution."
Original article in Korean: https://www.christiandaily.co.kr/news/154856
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