Overview

• Children were often kidnapped or falsely declared dead and sent abroad, as documented in an extensive AP and Frontline investigation.
• Adoption agencies and the South Korean government created a competitive market for children, with hospitals receiving illegal payments for supplying babies.
• Western countries pressured South Korea to provide children, ignoring evidence of fraudulent practices and promoting a narrative of rescuing orphans.
• Many adoptees discovered their identities were fabricated, leading to anguished reunions with supposed parents who turned out to be unrelated.
• European countries have halted international adoptions, and South Korea has launched a fact-finding commission under pressure from affected adoptees.