Commission accuses the government, ‘offers his apologies’
The South Korean government ended up under accusation for the abuses detected in the international adoptions of local children, including the falsification of documents and the inadequate consent. This is what the investigation work carried out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has noted, according to which Seoul should present official excuses for the story. “It has been established that the state has neglected its duty with consequent violation of the human rights of the adopted protected by the Constitution and international agreements during the process of sending many children abroad,” said the commission in a note.
The country, the fourth largest economy in Asia and global cultural power, remains one of the major exporters of children in the world, having sent over 140,000 children abroad between 1955 and 1999. The international adoption began after the Korean war as a way to remove mixed breed children, born from local mothers and American fathers, from a country that emphasized ethnic homogeneity. It became a great deal between 1970 and 1980, bringing millions of dollars to international adoption agencies while the country exceeded post -war poverty and faced rapid and aggressive economic development.
