Peg Reif’s long-standing dread resurfaced suddenly: had she unknowingly raised a child who had been abducted? The situation began when her daughter, adopted from South Korea in the 1980s, shared a link to a documentary that exposed the corrupt practices within the adoption system, revealing instances of falsified records, baby switching, and children taken from their families to be sent overseas. The shocking revelations led Reif to tears, reflecting the disillusionment shared by many others reaching out after viewing a series of stories detailing how South Korea had established a rapid adoption pipeline to fulfill Western demand for children.
Among those who expressed their heartbreak was more than 120 individuals, including adoptive parents like Reif, distressed by the realization that they may have supported a fraudulent system that benefited from the suffering of children and their birth families. “It haunts me to think that someone lost their child,” said Reif, sharing her anguish as she grappled with an unsettling sense of responsibility. Decades ago, she and her husband faced infertility challenges and initially sought to adopt a child from Mexico, only to discover that the agency they worked with was involved in unethical practices. Although devastated, she was relieved to think they had avoided adopting a stolen child.
Eventually, they adopted two Korean children and welcomed them into their home in rural Wisconsin. While not biological siblings, both had similar stories of young, unmarried mothers and absent fathers. Initially, Reif believed the narrative that their adoptions saved children from potential lives of despair. However, that belief has crumbled as new information has emerged, causing her to reconsider everything she once held as true. “I don’t know what the truth is anymore,” Reif admitted.
Cameron Lee Small, a Minneapolis therapist who specializes in working with adoptees and their families, has noted that many adoptees are experiencing a profound sense of betrayal and confusion as the details of systematic fraud come to light. While individual experiences of false identities were shared before, this year’s revelations indicate a pervasive practice of misrepresenting adoption circumstances, such as labeling children as “abandoned” when they had known parents. Small, who was also adopted from Korea in the 1980s, captured the sentiment many adoptees are feeling: “I’m back to nothing. What do I believe now? Who can I turn to for answers?”
One of the emotional responses to these revelations has come from Reif’s daughter, Jenn Hamilton, who grew up feeling unwanted and often joked about her origins in a dumpster. This sense of insecurity has followed her through life, even in her happy marriage of nine years, leading her to frequently question her husband’s feelings towards her. With the emerging signs that abandonment might not have been her true story, Hamilton reflected on the systemic issues leading her to feel deceived and disgusted.
Holt International, an agency recognized for its role in Korean adoptions, has not responded to requests for comments regarding these developments. Meanwhile, reforms are taking place across Europe where investigations have led to the suspension of foreign adoptions and formal apologies to adoptees. Contrarily, the United States, a country that has taken in the largest number of adopted children, has not yet reviewed its history in this matter. The U.S. State Department has stated its intent to work on piecing together historical details, indicating some documents may have been tampered with, yet it has failed to find conclusive evidence of government awareness.
Post-release of the investigative reports, a notable surge of adoptees registered for DNA tests for family searches; more than 120 registered within two months, a sharp rise from the previous average of less than 30 each month. The South Korean government has defended its past adoption practices as necessary for the welfare of children but has also acknowledged that welfare cost reduction may have contributed to the adoption boom.
Since 2022, Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been investigating issues surrounding foreign adoptions, with an interim report expected soon. In 2023, legislation was enacted requiring all adoption records to be centralized, although the transfer process faces challenges due to funding limitations. The head of the National Center for the Rights of the Child, Chung Ick-Joong, has recognized long-standing flaws within adoption laws and noted that many records may hold inaccuracies that are difficult to trace.
While some adoption agencies have refrained from making public comments due to privacy concerns, advocates for adoptees argue that the majority of adoptive families thrive, contrasting the experiences of those like Reif and Hamilton, who have begun to question the system. Hamilton’s journey to uncover her roots took on new urgency when she became a mother herself; the profound connection she felt with her biological child intensified her desire to understand her own past. However, her attempts to connect with her alleged birth mother were fraught with discrepancies and unanswered questions, further complicated by unsuccessful DNA testing efforts.
Lynelle Long, the founder of InterCountry Adoptee Voices, has called for mandatory disclosure of complete adoption records to adoptees without fees currently imposed by many agencies. She emphasized the need for adoptive parents to take accountability, advocating for legislative changes to ensure the prevention of past exploitative practices.
While Hamilton cherishes her adoptive family and her life in the United States, the emotional burden of uncertainty weighs heavily on her. She worries about the implications if her biological parents were to search for her, questioning their intentions. Meanwhile, Reif, who deeply loves her children, admits that had she understood the reality of adoptions in that context, she would prefer to remain childless than risk adopting a child that had been unjustly taken from their family. “I think about the families that were torn apart, and I cannot fathom their grief,” she expressed.
The unfolding revelations have many — including adoptees and adoptive parents alike — grappling with the ethical complexities of adoption and the deep-rooted implications for families globally.
