Naver News Article: 
”Adoption Records Tightly Closed to Adoptees with Disabilities…Urgent Need to Guarantee Access Rights”

Posted to Paperslip on October 30th, 2025.
First Published in Korea: October 28, 2025, 8:58 a.m.
Updated: October 28, 2025, 8:59 a.m.
Please see original Korean article (linked above) for photos.
Translation via ChatGPT.
Thank you to a Paperslip Contributor for the link.
Some BOLDS ours.

+

Paperslip Note:

We want to note that we have unfortunately long known that for every Adoptee activist action regarding NCRC, there is a reaction by NCRC and the Korean Government that does not necessarily make things better for Adoptees. Activists in Korea have been pushing for changes to NCRC’s current temporary storage location in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do (for which NCRC has signed a lease through May 30th, 2025) but such activism has resulted in the possibility of a SECOND movement of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files to the Seongam branch of the National Archives. The timeline and logistics of such a move remain unclear. The possibility of such a move leaves Adoptees’ files potentially in limbo — with an uncertain future.

See Related:
"S. Korean Government to Relocate Adoption Records Archive Just 3 Months After Setup”

+

Naver News Article: 

Adoption Records Tightly Closed to Adoptees with Disabilities…Urgent Need to Guarantee Access Rights

”News1 Subscription
Adoption Records Tightly Closed to Adoptees with Disabilities…Urgent Need to Guarantee Access Rights

Reporter: Kwon Jin-young
Published: October 28, 2025, 8:58 a.m.
Updated: October 28, 2025, 8:59 a.m.

Even after the National Archives took over custody of adoption records, there remains confusion due to a lack of support or guidelines for people with disabilities.

Lawmaker Kim Ye-ji: “The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Agency must make every effort to ensure access rights for all.”

A person with a disability stands before a staircase at the temporary storage site for overseas adoptee records in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. 

(Seoul = News1) Reporter Kwon Jin-young — The threshold for accessing adoption records—essential for overseas adoptees seeking their roots—is even higher for adoptees with disabilities. Critics point out that they are left in a blind spot when it comes to both information and facility accessibility.

According to Rep. Kim Ye-ji of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, the management of adoption information disclosure requests and adoption records currently falls under the Child Rights Agency, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This shift occurred when, starting in July 2023, the state took responsibility for adoptions, transitioning from a privately driven system to a public one.

Since the government assumed responsibility, interest among overseas adoptees in tracing their origins has surged. In the past year alone, 1,864 adoptees submitted a total of 3,374 requests for disclosure of adoption information.

However, for adoptees with disabilities, the entire process—from applying and making reservations to visiting and viewing the records—is virtually out of reach. Of the 170,000 children adopted abroad over the past 70 years since overseas adoptions began in earnest in 1958, about 40,000 are estimated to have disabilities—roughly one in four or five.

The temporary storage site where original adoption records can be viewed is located on the fourth floor of an isolated cold-storage warehouse in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, making physical access difficult. Even after getting off the subway, visitors must travel an additional 20–30 minutes by bus, and nearby ramps fail to meet legal slope standards. Those who manage to get inside will find there are no accessible restrooms for people with disabilities.

In response, Han Myung-ae, director of the Child Rights Agency, said, “Overseas adoptees with physical difficulties can view copies of the records at the agency’s headquarters in Seoul.” However, adoptees argue that viewing copies is insufficient because only a very limited portion of the archived materials is made available.

Even this copy-viewing service is limited to three people per day, three days a week. Considering that over 150 applications are received each month, access remains highly restricted. Moreover, adoptees with disabilities struggle to apply for viewing online, as the agency’s website lacks accessibility certification for users with disabilities. The website remained faulty for about 40 days before being fixed following an inquiry by Rep. Kim.

A representative of an adoptee organization commented, “Many adoptees want to see and touch their own adoption documents or keepsakes such as their baby clothes.”

To address these limitations, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Archives on October 10 to enhance the preservation and information disclosure of adoption records. They also announced plans to entrust the National Archives with the storage of adoption records.

However, concerns remain that transferring the records to the National Archives will not solve the accessibility issues for people with disabilities.

The National Archives currently lacks any systems or manuals to support accessibility for people with disabilities—and has no plans to develop them. As it stands, disabled adoptees visiting the National Archives would not have access to Braille or audio materials, nor to sign language interpretation services.

Rep. Kim stressed, “For overseas adoptees who have long searched for their roots, adoption records are not mere administrative documents—they are the foundation for discovering their identity and existence.” She continued, “Although the government has declared its commitment to greater responsibility for adoption, its poor preparation continues to cause pain for adoptees.”

She urged, “As agencies responsible for managing adoption records and disclosure, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Agency must make every effort to ensure accessibility for everyone—not only in their own websites and facilities but also in the National Archives.”

— Reporter Kwon Jin-young (realkwon@news1.kr)”