Korea JoongAng Daily Article:
“After 30 years, Korea Joins International Adoption Convention”.

Original Korea JoongAng Daily article published October 1st, 2025.
Please see original article for photos.
Posted to Paperslip on October 6th, 2025.
Bolds ours.

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Korea JoongAng Daily

“After 30 years, Korea Joins International Adoption Convention

Korea has formally joined the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 30 years after the treaty took effect.

The move strengthens state oversight and safeguards for children in the adoption process, including mandatory national reviews and adoption visas, under the guiding principle of prioritizing the best interests of the child.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that Korea's accession to the convention took effect on Wednesday. The legal foundation for implementing the convention was established in July with the enactment of the Special Act on Domestic Adoption and the Act on Intercountry Adoption.

This reform of the public adoption system has resulted in the government overseeing the entire adoption process, replacing private institutions. In June, the instrument of ratification of the convention was deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the depositary of the convention. Consequently, the convention entered into force in October.

Adopted in 1993 and enforced since 1995, the Hague Adoption Convention aims to protect the fundamental rights of children and prevent abduction, trafficking or sale in the context of international adoption. A total of 107 countries, including the United States and China, are currently party to the agreement.

Korea, which sent approximately 170,000 children overseas for adoption over the past 70 years — drawing criticism as “the world's biggest baby exporter” — first signed the convention in 2013. However, it took 12 years to ratify due to delays in enacting the required domestic laws.

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party on the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee welcomed the development, stating, “Though belated, we sincerely welcome the implementation of the convention.”

Photo caption: An adoptee reads nametags of adoptees at a monument in Paju, Gyeonggi, on June 14. [YONHAP]

With the agreement now in force, cooperation between Korea and other signatory states will intensify with efforts to ensure that the child's best interests remain central in every step of the intercountry adoption process.

Under the new framework, international adoption is only permitted when a suitable adoptive family cannot be found domestically. Each case must pass review by the Ministry's Adoption Policy Committee, and the adoption must clearly be in the child's best interest.

The Korean government will work directly with partner countries, with both sending and receiving nations responsible for assessing the eligibility of children and prospective adoptive parents. International standards now apply to all stages, including consent from birth parents, matching, procedural coordination and post-adoption reporting to monitor the child's adjustment.

The new rules also apply to stepchild adoptions in multicultural remarriages and any adoption involving the cross-border relocation of a child.

Signatory countries will mutually recognize adoptions conducted under the convention. To align with international standards guaranteeing adopted children permanent residency in their new country, Seoul will introduce a dedicated “adoption visa” starting this month for foreign adoptees entering Korea.

This visa allows adopted children residing mainly overseas to stay in Korea for up to two years, with extensions available if their adoption or naturalization processes are still underway.

“This milestone marks a turning point in aligning with the international community to protect children’s fundamental rights and enhance human rights,” said Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong. “We will manage all aspects of intercountry adoption transparently and responsibly, with the child’s best interests at the core.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JUNG JONG-HOON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]”