The Korean War Baby takes a close look at Stephen Morrison’s recent article published in Korean Quarterly, fall, 2010. Titled “In Defense of Adoption” Stephen takes an in-depth look at the issues that are currently strongly debated in Adoption Discourse, especially by SOME of those living in the Korean motherland.
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In Defense of Adoption (Published in Korean Quarterly, Fall 2010, Vol 14, Num 01)
Stephen C. Morrison/MPAK
Introduction
“The overall mood and climate on adoption in Korea over the past few years has been shifting drastically away from being viewed as positive, to being viewed as negative. Of all the causes, the greatest impact in the Korean society has been from the work of a few adult adoptees groups that have spoken up strongly against the inter-country adoption (or ICA), and even against domestic adoption as well. Some Korea-based adult adoptee organizations have joined forces to bring about the demise of both Inter-Country and Domestic adoption by advocating the closure of adoptions in Korea.
These organizations, in separate efforts, have accused the adoption agencies of profiting from child trafficking, adoption document forging, coercing birthmothers to give up their babies, and have blamed the Korean government for allowing this practice to go on for many years. They have also advocated that the Korean government should do more to create an environment for birthmothers (KWB notes that here Steve means specifically “Unwed Mothers” - a term that KWDI, NGO’s, and the Korean Government Min. of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs, uses for unwed single women who give birth and keep their child) to raise their own children and avoid the separation of children from their birth families. Further, they blame adoption for being the main cause of the separation of children from their birthmothers. Their position is that if adoption can be stopped or discouraged, then there will be more birthmothers that will be able to keep their own children.
Some of their demands are definitely valid and ideal. Creating an environment for birthmothers (Unwed Mothers) to be able to raise their own children is a good thing. Most of the groups have proposed particular steps the society could take to achieve this, such as providing single mothers with more substantial financial assistance. They have also helped single mothers’ groups and carried out programs designed to help change the negative social stigma against single mothers so that they won’t feel negative pressure from the society that often makes difficult for them to keep their children.
While I strongly support the notion that birthmothers should be able to raise their own children, I do not agree that the adoption agencies have provided adoption services over the years because of a profit motive, and I do not agree that adoption is the cause of separation between the children and their birthmothers. Indeed, I can show that the main cause of children becoming homeless in Korea is that the majority of birth families who abandon their children simply can’t or won’t raise their children. Therefore, adoption is simply a response to so many children that have already been separated, and not the initiator of the separation…”
These organizations, in separate efforts, have accused the adoption agencies of profiting from child trafficking, adoption document forging, coercing birthmothers to give up their babies, and have blamed the Korean government for allowing this practice to go on for many years. They have also advocated that the Korean government should do more to create an environment for birthmothers (KWB notes that here Steve means specifically “Unwed Mothers” - a term that KWDI, NGO’s, and the Korean Government Min. of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs, uses for unwed single women who give birth and keep their child) to raise their own children and avoid the separation of children from their birth families. Further, they blame adoption for being the main cause of the separation of children from their birthmothers. Their position is that if adoption can be stopped or discouraged, then there will be more birthmothers that will be able to keep their own children.
Some of their demands are definitely valid and ideal. Creating an environment for birthmothers (Unwed Mothers) to be able to raise their own children is a good thing. Most of the groups have proposed particular steps the society could take to achieve this, such as providing single mothers with more substantial financial assistance. They have also helped single mothers’ groups and carried out programs designed to help change the negative social stigma against single mothers so that they won’t feel negative pressure from the society that often makes difficult for them to keep their children.
While I strongly support the notion that birthmothers should be able to raise their own children, I do not agree that the adoption agencies have provided adoption services over the years because of a profit motive, and I do not agree that adoption is the cause of separation between the children and their birthmothers. Indeed, I can show that the main cause of children becoming homeless in Korea is that the majority of birth families who abandon their children simply can’t or won’t raise their children. Therefore, adoption is simply a response to so many children that have already been separated, and not the initiator of the separation…”
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Click on the link above to read all of the article!!
KWB notes: On the terminology of “Unwed Mother” and “Birthmother”. Each term has it’s own shades of meaning, just as when an Adoptee refers to their “Mother” if they are referring to the only mother they have “known” in Adoption Discourse narratives (stories written by an Adoptee) the term “A-mother, or Adoptive Mother, A-Mom, etc. helps to differentiate WHICH one they are speaking about.
Thus for Birthmother in Stephen’s article I point out that Stephen uses the term “Birthmother” for a couple of reasons. When a Korean woman, single or married, gives birth to a child she IS a Birthmother. If the child is then relinquished for Adoption there are THREE options.
First is Civil Code Law Adoption which is one of two ways a KOREAN Family may choose to Adopt a child. KWDI report Reviewing Issues on Unwed Mothers_KWDI, May 2010 confirms this, don’t just believe me. Done through the civil courts this is arraigned through private connections. Notable case of a failed Civil Code Law Adoption was the Dutch diplomat and his wife, who are infamous for abandoning their Korean daughter in Hong Hong. Some have wrongly claimed this was ICA but was a Civil Code Law adoption (GOA'L article).
Second option is the Domestic Adoptions done through the Four Adoption Agencies (Holt-Korea; KSS; SWS; Eastern) which has stringent background checks and is regulated much more transparently. However, both Civil Code Law and Domestic adoptions remain 95% SECRET and the Adoptive Parents are able to register their “new child” with the new Family Registry with Individual Registry system started in 2008. Thus, Adoption remains shrouded in Secrecy, Shame, and Suspicion.
Third option, Inter-Country Adoption- but actually for a Birthmother it is NOT in her actual control…If she signs the Relinquishment papers to give up her child for adoption, the first FIVE MONTHS a child is available ONLY for Domestic. (Note that those done by Civil Code Law are NOT ACCOUNTED for in governmental figures HOWEVER, the Civil Courts DO HAVE RECORDS of where the “Unknown” children go). THUS, at FIVE MONTHS OLD if a child has not been adopted by Civil Code Law OR Domestic Adoptions through an Adoption Agency, THEN AND ONLY THEN can they be processed for INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION.
Part TWO-In depth coverage of article “In Defense of Adoption” coming soon…
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