Paperslip.org was originally founded in 2020 by and for KSS Adoptees by two female KSS Adoptees, who were both adopted to the US. However, since that time Paperslip has grown to encompass important information for ALL Korean Adoptees.

Paperslip has been a public website since January 2021.

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Why The Name “Paperslip”?

Paperslip’s Principle of Triage In Relation To Korean Adoptee Birth Family Search.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Trigger Warning

The most important aspect of Paperslip.org is its role as an independent, advocacy-driven, and highly comprehensive resource for Korean Adoptees navigating the birth family search process.

While the site provides insights that are valuable to all Korean Adoptees, its distinct and most critical focus centers on a few key pillars:

1. Specialization in Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees

Paperslip was founded by and for Adoptees who were adopted through Korea Social Service (KSS)—the smallest of South Korea's four major historic Korean Adoption Agencies. Because KSS operated differently from larger agencies like Holt, Paperslip fills a crucial gap by providing highly specific, granular guidance on how to navigate KSS’s unique filing systems, paperwork types, and institutional quirks.

2. Up-to-Date Guidance on the 2025 NCRC File Transfer

The site has become the primary watchdog and guide regarding a massive historical shift in Korean Adoption: the mandatory transfer of all former Korean Adoption Agency files (including those of KSS) to the South Korean government's National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC). Paperslip spent years campaigning to warn Adoptees about this transition and remains one of the only self-serve platforms detailing exactly how to submit birth family search petitions under this new, government-centralized framework.

3. Exposing Falsified and Discrepant Paperwork ("De-gaslighting")

A core mission of Paperslip is what the founders call "de-gaslighting" Adoptees regarding historic Korean Adoption Agency practices. The site emphasizes a critical truth that trips up many searching families: the English Adoptive Child Study Summary given to adoptive parents often contains different (or intentionally falsified) information compared to the original Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary. Paperslip explicitly guides Adoptees on how to find and interpret their original Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary documents, which are far more likely to contain birth parent names and / or relinquishment details.

4. Step-by-Step, Independent Search Education

Instead of relying blindly on Korean or Western Adoption Agencies, Paperslip promotes an empowered, multi-pronged approach to searching. It breaks down the exact sequence of necessary steps—from utilizing specific DNA registries to submitting a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC—saving Adoptees years of dead ends and wasted resources.

Summary: Paperslip.org acts as a truth-telling, community-funded bridge between complex South Korean bureaucratic shifts and the Adoptees fighting to uncover their true origins.

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Contact Paperslip - We Are KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees

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Paperslip Social Media Links for KSS and ALL Korean Adoptees

Paperslip.org was founded in 2020, and since that time, hundreds of new pages have been added.

While we make a concerted effort to keep our information up to date — particularly with respect to birth family search through NCRC — please note that there is no way for us to completely update all older pages dating back to 2020.

Please note that where possible, we have noted where information is OUTDATED.

Since it is impossible for us to update EVERY older page on Paperslip, please check our frequently updated PAPERSLIP BLOG for the most recent updates related to birth family search and TRC 3.

It is ultimately up to YOU to remain up to date with changes in the world of birth family search!

For those who are new to birth family search, we highly recommend that you do an inexpensive private Zoom consultation with us — particularly if you plan to visit Korea for birth family search. We strongly recommend that you consult with us at least 3-4 months in advance of any planned trip to Korea, and that you do so BEFORE you book your flight and hotel.

Please see:

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Paperslip Concludes A 15 Month Campaign To Warn KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees About The Transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files To NCRC.

The impact of Paperslip.org on the Korean Adoptee community, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) investigations, and the broader global awareness generated by the FRONTLINE / AP documentary South Korea's Adoption Reckoning represents a major shift toward truth-seeking, record transparency, and personal privacy for Overseas Adoptees.

While initially founded as a specialized resource for those adopted through Korea Social Service (KSS), Paperslip has evolved into a vital global portal for all Korean Adoptees navigating an increasingly complex legal and bureaucratic landscape.  

1. Impact on the Korean Adoptee Community

Paperslip has transformed from a niche agency-specific blog into a crucial, practical guide for the global Korean Adoptee community. Its main impacts include:

• Demystifying Falsified Records: The site famously highlights how records were systematically altered to "orphanize" children (often using a literal "paper-slip" or memo stating the child was “abandoned” to make them legally eligible for expedited Western adoption. It educates Adoptees on how to differentiate between the English Adoptive Child Study Summary (which often contains fabricated stories) and the formerly secret, internal KSS Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary and other documents. 
  

• Navigating the NCRC File Transfer: In mid-2025, the South Korean government mandated the historic transfer of ALL private Korean Adoption Agency files to the state-run National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC). Paperslip has been the primary independent platform updating the community on how this massive bureaucratic shift affects birth family searches, warning Adoptees for 15 months about the pending file transfer.
  

• Advocating for Extreme Document Privacy: Unlike large, public social media groups, Paperslip fiercely advocates for data privacy. It actively warns Adoptees against casually sharing sensitive, un-redacted adoption paperwork with untrusted peer groups or unverified legal advocates online, teaching them to guard their sensitive, private information.
  

2. Impact on the TRC Investigations in South Korea

South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has spent years examining systemic human rights abuses, including the illicit gathering and falsification of documents during the peak adoption boom of the 1960s–1990s. Paperslip’s role has been heavily administrative and procedural:  

• Empowering Independent Applications: A hallmark of Paperslip's philosophy is teaching Adoptees that they do not need to rely on self-proclaimed “Adoptee Rights" groups to seek justice. Paperslip created meticulous, step-by-step English translation guides for the TRC application forms. 
  

• Filing for TRC 3: As the commission transitions into its next phases (such as TRC 3), Paperslip provides free, clear instructions on how Adoptees can submit their cases entirely independently via regional Korean Consulates, ensuring their private files stay directly between them and the South Korean government. 
  

3. Connection to South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning (FRONTLINE / AP)

When The Associated Press and FRONTLINE released their joint investigative documentary detailing how thousands of Western adoptions were fueled by stolen identities and fake paperwork, it sent shockwaves through the community. Paperslip acted as both a precursor and a critical landing pad for this media event:  

• Validating the Investigation's Core Claims: The documentary exposed how children with living relatives were systemically listed as abandoned. For years prior, Paperslip had already been archiving, translating, and proving these exact file discrepancies, serving as a primary open-source textbook on how these frauds structurally operated inside agencies like KSS. 
  

• The Post-Broadcast Support Hub: Following the broadcast, thousands of blindsided Adoptees asked, "Did this happen to me too? How do I find out?" Major outlets, including PBS, explicitly highlighted platforms like Paperslip as the exact practical toolkit Adoptees needed. When overwhelmed viewers needed to request their original records, cross-reference DNA databases, or initiate government family searches, Paperslip provided the concrete "how-to" blueprint that standard investigative journalism leaves out. 

The Takeaway: Paperslip.org has successfully bridged the gap between macro-level human rights investigations (the TRC), mass-media exposure (FRONTLINE), and the micro-level reality of an individual Adoptee trying to find out who they actually are.

While academic papers, news documentaries (like the Frontline / AP investigation), and NGOs often get the public credit for uncovering the systemic flaws in the Korean international adoption system, grassroots, volunteer-run databases like Paperslip.org have driven a quiet, foundational revolution.

Founded in 2020 by two female Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees who were adopted to the US in the 1970s, Paperslip has weaponized hyper-specific, crowd-sourced forensic research. Their impact on the community goes far beyond simply being an "information site"—they have altered the landscape in several profoundly uncredited ways.  

1. Decoding the "Secret Language" of Adoption Agencies

Before Paperslip, many Adoptees viewed their adoption paperwork as a definitive, static record. Paperslip revolutionized this by treating adoption files like crime scenes or archaeological sites.

• The Uncredited Impact: They created the first open-source, highly detailed guides to decoding the specific filing habits, stamps, handwritten notations, and hidden KSS K-Number codes used by KSS. By teaching KSS Adoptees how to read between the lines of the KSS documents which Paperslip codified as the English Adoptive Child Study Summary and the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, Paperslip exposed how agencies systematically stripped away real identities (e.g., intentionally logging a child as an "abandoned orphan" to bypass the need for birth-parent consent, in a process known as “Orphanization”).

• The Result: Adoptees transitioned from passive recipients of a curated "story" into active forensic researchers of their own lives.

2. Standardizing the Fight Against "The Gatekeepers"

Historically, Korean Adoption Agencies held absolute power over what information they shared, often providing piecemeal or contradictory information to Adoptees over the decades.

• The Uncredited Impact: Paperslip democratized the document request process. They provided step-by-step, template-driven strategies on exactly what documents to ask for (such as the formerly secret "Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary”) and how to pressure Korean Adoption Agencies like KSS or government bodies like the NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

• The Result: They effectively leveled the playing field, shifting the power dynamic away from bureaucratic gatekeepers and arming individual Adoptees with the bureaucratic literacy to demand their Korean adoption records.

3. Shifting the Focus to "Micro-Reunions" and Peer Validation

Large organizations measure success in sweeping legal changes or massive statistics. Paperslip’s profound, uncredited influence lies in the invisible architecture of dozens of "micro-reunions" (contributing to the early stages of the birth family searches of around 48+ KSS Adoptees who experienced reunions with birth family by 2026) and continuous peer-led advisory work.  

• The Uncredited Impact: Behind the scenes, the volunteers behind Paperslip act as unpaid case managers and tactical advisors. They guide Adoptees through the emotional minefields of sudden contact, secondary rejection, or discovering that their paperwork was entirely falsified.

• The Result: This created a safe space completely detached from institutional or state-sanctioned narratives, allowing Adoptees to process their reality without the pressure of having to feel "grateful" for their adoption. 
  

The Bottom Line: While large commissions look at the macro-history of South Korea’s Adoption system, Paperslip.org gave Adoptees the literal dictionary, the phrasing, and the peer-to-peer solidarity required to dismantle those systems on an individual, life-changing level.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

The scenario you are describing—where an investigator, activist, or key subject acts as the bridge, researcher, and fixer for a major journalistic breakthrough but finds themselves left out of the production credits—is a classic, deeply painful ethical flashpoint in investigative journalism.

The relationship between Rebecca Kimmel and AP reporter Kim Tong-hyung is well-documented. The AP itself has acknowledged that Rebecca’s initial hours-long Zoom calls with Kim, her subsequent trips to Seoul to meet with Kim for filmed interviews and to visit her Korean Adoption Agency KSS with Kim in 2021, and her introduction of the historic North Carolina twin reunion case with their birth father are exactly what "birthed Kim's years-long obsession with reporting on adoption fraud out of Korea".  

When someone pours years of emotional labor, deep personal research, and trusted community connections into a project, only to be omitted from the official production credits of a massive documentary, it feels like a profound erasure. From an ethical standpoint, this situation highlights a systemic tension between traditional journalistic standards and modern community-centered ethics.

The Traditional Journalism Defense: The Firewall of Independence

From the rigid, traditional perspective of major outlets like PBS FRONTLINE and The Associated Press, the decision not to give an "editorial" or "production" credit (such as Associate Producer, Researcher, or Consultant) usually comes down to institutional rules regarding independent reporting.

• Subject vs. Staff: Legacy newsrooms maintain a strict firewall between the journalists reporting the story and the subjects living it. If a person is a primary subject of an investigation (as Rebecca was, receiving her own dedicated narrative feature profile in the AP series), outlets heavily resist giving them a production credit. They worry it creates a conflict of interest, signaling to the public that a source helped "produce" the news about themselves or their community.

• The "Fixer" Erasure: In international journalism, individuals who connect reporters to subjects, translate, or guide investigations are often categorized as "fixers" or "local guides." Historically, these roles have been notoriously under-credited, frequently obscured behind the names of the main correspondents or the network banner for safety or bureaucratic reasons.
  

The Modern Ethical Critique: Extractive Journalism

Outside of rigid newsroom handbooks, many contemporary media ethicists, advocates, and documentary filmmakers view this traditional approach as fundamentally extractive and unfair.

• Intellectual and Emotional Labor: When a source doesn't just hand over a document, but rather provides the underlying framework of an entire multi-part investigation—sharing an archive of sources they spent years building trust with—they are functioning as a co-investigator. Treating that deep collaborative effort as merely an "interview source" can be an exploitation of an advocate's labor.

• The Power Imbalance: Major media institutions possess massive platforms, funding, and cultural capital. When they build an entire award-winning ecosystem (documentaries, interactives, articles) atop the years of grassroots work done by an individual—and then withhold structural credit—it reinforces an unequal dynamic where institutional journalists get the accolades while the community source is left with the emotional fallout.

Where the Middle Ground Breaks Down

Outlets often argue that featuring someone prominently in the content (giving them a dedicated article or significant screen time) is the credit. For example, the AP explicitly named Rebecca as a key contributor to resources like Paperslip and highlighted her personal story in depth.

However, being a subject is fundamentally different from being credited for your labor. A subject is viewed as raw material for a story; a credited producer or researcher is recognized as an intellectual architect of the project.

Bottom Line

Is it ethical? By the strict, legacy rules of traditional investigative journalism, the outlets followed standard protocol to protect their perceived independence. But by the standards of modern, equitable, and trauma-informed journalism, it represents a significant ethical failure. Failing to find a creative way to formally acknowledge a source who effectively co-built the foundation of an investigation is an exclusionary practice that devalues the immense labor of the very people the journalism aims to empower.

Paperslip.org is a self-funded website. We cover our annual hosting and conference expenses ourselves and dedicate thousands of volunteer hours each year to keeping the site current and relevant. Your generous support helps us to continue Paperslip’s mission of keeping Korean Adoptees around the world informed, connected, and engaged. We deeply appreciate every contribution!

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Paperslip Go Fund Me

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Please click below to view the related link/s:

A Korean Adoption Primer From A Critical Perspective

Korean Adoption History

Archive of Important Old NCRC / KAS Pages.

Academic Papers About Korean Adoption Which Refer to KSS.

Terminology + Acronyms + Adoption Procedures.

Proxy Adoption In Korea.

The Connections Between S. Korea And Minnesota.

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

Historically, the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies designated by the Korean Government in 1976 to handle all Overseas Adoption are:

HOLT Korea (not to be confused with Holt International, which is the Western Holt Adoption Agency). Holt was the LARGEST Korean Adoption Agency.

Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) - formerly Eastern Child Welfare Society (ECWS).

Korea Welfare Society (KWS) / formerly Social Welfare Society (SWS) / formerly CPS (Child Placement Services). Please note that if you were adopted through ISS (International Social Services), KWS may have taken possession of your files.

In some early 1960s cases, ISS and KSS partnered, and KSS may have had possession of your files.

*KSS (Korea Social Service) — the SMALLEST of the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies.

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Please note that as of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

For more information about NCRC, please see the FAQ section on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page titled:

“FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).”

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PRIVATE ADOPTIONS:

Please note that there were many Korean Adoptees — particulary prior to 1976 when the Korean Government designated the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to handle all overseas adoptions — who were NOT adopted through any Korean or Western Adoption Agency, and who had a private adoption.

Those Adoptees who had a private adoption should still submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC, but it will likely depend on each individual’s case as to whether or not NCRC may have information about their adoption.

For US Adoptees who had a private adoption, the best method (in prior times) to obtain information was through a free FOIA request. However, in current times, FOIA requests are coming back up to 90% redacted, and we STRONGLY CAUTION U.S. Adoptees about filing a FOIA request in the current times. Please be sure to consult an immigr. attorney whom you trust BEFORE you file a FOIA request!

Please be sure to READ our FOIA page:

FOIA Request For US Adoptees

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

The following is excerpted from the Paperslip page titled:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Question 3B -
(This question applies to Korean Adoptees generally, but may vary by individual case):

What is the difference between a Korean Adoption Agency and a Western (US, European, or Australian) Adoption Agency?

Answer:
Each Korean Adoption Agency had its own network or list of corresponding Partner Western (US, European, or Australian) Adoption Agencies. The Korean Adoption Agency KSS for example partnered with these Partner Western Adoption Agencies.

Korean Adoption Agencies sourced children for international adoption from a variety of sources: orphanages (“feeder orphanages”), single unwed mothers homes, hospitals, maternity clinics / midwives’ clinics, the police, doctors, churches, and birth family members who relinquished children to Korean Adoption Agencies directly. In the worst case scenarios, children were sourced from places such as Brothers Home in Busan (trigger warning).

Korean Adoption Agencies would process the children for international adoption by cooperating with its network or list of corresponding Partner Western (US, European, or Australian) Adoption Agencies. The Korean and Western Adoption Agencies would collaborate to process the Korean exit visa and the Western entry visa for the child.

What makes things confusing is in some cases, the names and / or organizational structure of Korean Adoption Agencies and their corresponding Partner Western Adoption Agencies changed over time. For example, SWS is now KWS (which is often confused with KSS). Holt split into two entities - Holt Korea and Holt International (in the US) and around 1976, likely in order to remain an “indigenous” source of Korean children for international adoption when the Korean government decided to designate just 4 major indigenous Korean Adoption Agencies capable of processing international adoption to the West.

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Many Korean Adoptees don't know that each major Korean Adoption Agency partnered with an evolving list of Western Adoption Agencies (US / European / Australian / Canadian).

You can find a list of all 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies and their corresponding Western Adoption Agencies here: 

NEW PDF LINK (For US Adoptees Only)

NEW PDF LINK - Tracing Your Origin (For ALL Korean Adoptees)

Many Korean Adoptees don't know that each major Korean Adoption Agency partnered with an evolving list of Western Adoption Agencies (US / European / Australian / Canadian).

You can find a list of all 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies and their corresponding Western Adoption Agencies here: 

PDF LINK (For US Adoptees Only)

Please note that the PDF below is from the old NCRC / KAS website. In terms of NCRC’s address(es) and old process for submitting the Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure, the information in the PDF below is now OUTDATED. However, this is the BEST document we know of which shows the historical partnerships between Korean Adoption Agencies and Western Adoption Agencies (in the US, Europe, Canada, and Australia). Please note that this document no longer appears to be available on the current NCRC / KAS website (at least, not that we can find):

PDF LINK - Tracing Your Origin (For ALL Korean Adoptees) — Please note that the NCRC address info. in the PDF link above as well as the info. about the NCRC process is now OUTDATED.

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Orphanization Part I.
This Section Applies to Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees ONLY.

Orphanization Part II.
This Section Applies to Korean Adoptees Generally, Regardless of Their Korean or Western Adoption Agencies.

If you are a KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee, the key document which is a primary site of Orphanization is the “English Adoptive Child Study Summary”. This is the document which frequently says that a child was “abandoned” with “unknown parents”.

This is known as mass “Orphanization”. In order to make children adoptable en masse to the West, Korean Adoption Agencies had to either say that a child was “abandoned” or that the child’s parents were deceased. This is the source of the infamous found with a “paper-slip” (or “memo”) lie which appears in COUNTLESS thousands of KSS Adoptees’ “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” documents. KSS and many other Korean Adoption Agencies opted to pretend that the majority of us were “abandoned” — when the reality of relinquishment of a child by birth family was often much more complex.

Yet secretly KSS often kept more information about a child’s origins in the formerly secret “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” and in other documents.

It is important to note that NOT every KSS Adoptee has FALSE information in their “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” document. We have certainly seen examples of KSS Adoptees whose information turned out to be TRUE.

Adoptees must assume that any birth parent information which they have in their possession is TRUE UNTIL PROVEN FALSE. Otherwise, Adoptees have nothing to go on for a search.

Certainly this scenario of mass orphanization deeply impacts the birth family search efforts of thousands of KSS Adoptees.

Many KSS Adoptees’ histories have been permanently erased.

In such instances, DNA testing is often the only guaranteed method of finding at least SOME blood relatives.

Adoptees often say, “DNA is the only truth.” This is because our paperwork is so often (though not always) deeply falsified — making the paper trail search something I often refer to as “The Paper Trail of Tears”.

The key is being able to obtain the formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” and other former KSS documents from NCRC.

However, NCRC will partly redact any birth parent information on any documents containing birth parent information. NCRC will be able to conduct a search based on this information, but given the severe bottlenecking of requests at NCRC, we unfortunately know that the NCRC search process is going to be extremely fraught with issues and delays.

We urge Korean Adoptees who have serious interest in birth family search to take ALL possible DNA tests.

Particulary for older Adoptees, time is running out for us in terms of search.

Please see:

DNA Testing

Please also see the FAQ section about NCRC on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page, titled:

“FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child)”

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korea Times: “Mixed-race daughter Korea tried to send away is now helping adoptees return home.”

Facebook Group:
Hapa (Half) Korean Adoptees

Please note that the Korean Adoptee led group 325Kamra, which distributes free FTDNA tests to both Korean Adoptees and Korean birth parents in Korea, is run by Hapa Korean Adoptees, two of whom are KSS Adoptees.

KSS! KWS! SWS! CPS! ESWS! ECWS! NCRC! KAS! AID! DNA! NM! BFS! FOIA!

Who can keep all of these acronyms straight???

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Acronym Salad

Free Online Tools + Tips For Searchers

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Online tools for Korean translation:

Try uploading screenshots of non-sensitive adoption documents in Korean and / or Hanja to Google Gemini for translation. 

ChatGPT for Korean Text Translation

Google Lens + ChatGPT Translation Tutorial

PRIVATE ADOPTIONS:

Please note that there were many Korean Adoptees — particularly prior to 1976 when the Korean Government designated the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to handle all overseas adoptions — who were NOT adopted through any Korean or Western Adoption Agency, and who had a private adoption.

Those Adoptees who had a private adoption should still submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC, but it will likely depend on each individual’s case as to whether or not NCRC may have information about their adoption.

For US Adoptees who had a private adoption, the best method (in prior times) to obtain information was through a free FOIA request. However, in current times, FOIA requests are coming back up to 90% redacted, and we STRONGLY CAUTION US Adoptees about filing a FOIA request in the current times. Please be sure to consult an immigr. attorney whom you trust BEFORE you file a FOIA request!

Please be sure to READ our FOIA page:

FOIA Request For US Adoptees

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If you had a private adoption, depending on the circumstances of your case, and whether or not you have birth parent information, DNA testing and / or gumshoe investigation on the ground in Korea are likely your best options for birth family search. You can also try filing a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request through NCRC, but it will depend on your case as to whether or not NCRC has any information about your adoption.

PLEASE NOTE: As of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files have moved to the Korean Public Institution NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child). Please see the FAQ section below, titled:

FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child)

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

A Letter to Korean Adoptees New To Birth Family Search.

Now More Than Ever, It’s Important To Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information!

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here!
General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

Pro-Active Birth Family Search Tips for KSS (Korea Social Service) and ALL Korean Adoptees.

DNA Testing

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We are happy to advise you in the context of an inexpensive private Zoom session. For more information, please see:

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Why I offer private consultations for Korean Adoptees through Paperslip.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How To Figure Out Your KOREAN Adoption Agency Name.

I Don’t Know What My Adoption Agency Was. What Do I Do?

How Do I Know If Korea Social Service (KSS) Was My Korean Adoption Agency?

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Adoptees seeking birth family should organize records; key search clues are often overlooked.

Now More Than Ever, It’s Important To Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information!

If you already have birth parent information — such as name/s, birthdate/s, and (in rare instances) 13 digit ID numbers, then you have a few different options for birth family search.

Please note that you CANNOT search effectively with ONLY a person’s name in Korea. You must ALSO have a birthdate, or some other identifying information to go on.

Please be aware that Koreans historically are NOT as accurate about birthdates as people are in the West. If you are seeking a person born on January 1st, 1960, ask Korean police to bracket the birth year by a few years up and down - for example, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962.

1. Work with the NGO GOAL in Korea. GOAL requires an annual fee, but it is not expensive. Please note that recently, GOAL’s PayPal system has been charging multiple times in error. GOAL will reiumburse you, but be sure to watch for this in your account once you purchase a GOAL membership.

2. You can work with NCRC in Korea. However, we think you should try working with GOAL first.

3. You can hire a translator and work with Korean police stations and Jumin Centers in person in Korea.

4. You can try working with a PI.

Please note that we can never know for sure in any particular Adoptee’s case whether or not the information in their Korean or Western Adoption Agency paperwork is true or false.

There is often a mixture of true and false information within Adoptees’ paperwork, and there is no way for us to know for sure what may be true and what may be false in a particular Adoptee’s paperwork.

In general, if an Adoptee has birth parent information in their adoption documents — such as name/s, birthdate/s, and in rare instances 13 digit ID numbers, Adoptees must assume that this information is TRUE UNTIL PROVEN FALSE. Otherwise, an Adoptee has nothing to go in terms of a birth family search.

CONTEXT, however, matters a great deal in interpreting the likely truthfulness of adoption documents.

For example, this website is called “Paperslip” because countless thousands of KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees have the often false “Orphanization” language in their “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” documents that they were found “abandoned” with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in their “clothings” (sic). Yet KSS secretly kept a “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” which often contained more background details about a child’s origin — sometimes including birth parent name/s and birthdate/s — which was NOT disclosed to Adoptees or their adoptive parents.

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Orphanization Part I.
This Section Applies to Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees ONLY.

Orphanization Part II.
This Section Applies to Korean Adoptees Generally, Regardless of Their Korean or Western Adoption Agencies.

For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY:
ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary

For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY:
KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary

For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY:
Even KSS Adoptees among the 56 TRC 2 decision recipients did NOT receive the KSS form “국내소속서류작성의뢰서” (Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents).

The short answer is unfortunately, NO.

As of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files — including those of KSS — were transferred to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

KSS’ last remaining building — its former Post Adoption Services building — is now CLOSED.

As of September 2025, ALL Korean Adoptees who wish to request their former Korean Adoption Agency documents and / or a birth family search must submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website.

For more information, please see the FAQ sections related to NCRC on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page.

As of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files — including those of KSS — were transferred to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

KSS’ last remaining building — its former Post Adoption Services building — is now CLOSED.

As of September 2025, ALL Korean Adoptees who wish to request their former Korean Adoption Agency documents and / or a birth family search must submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website.

For more information, please see the FAQ sections related to NCRC on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page.

As of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files from the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies were transferred to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

As of September 2025, ALL Korean Adoptees who wish to request their former Korean Adoption Agency documents and / or a birth family search must submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website.

For more information, please see the FAQ sections related to NCRC on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Pro-Active Birth Family Search Tips for KSS (Korea Social Service) and ALL Korean Adoptees.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How To Obtain Your 13 Digit Korean ID Number.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Common birth family search post failures.

The multi-pronged process for birth family search involves:

Submitting a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure Request to NCRC.

Taking ALL possible DNA tests.
DNA testing is often the only reliable path for those who are unable to obtain any information about their birth parents through the adoption paperwork route.

Undertaking “boots on the ground” birth family search in Korea.

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Please see the FAQ related to NCRC on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page.

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

DNA Testing

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here!
General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Barriers To Birth Family Search In Korea and In The Western Countries of Adoption.

The Hard Truth About The Current State Of Birth Family Search.

Korean Birth Parents Have No Legal Rights To Look For Their Relinquished Child/ren.

What Both Korean Birth Parents and Korean Adoptees Should Know, But Often Don't Know.

NCRC De-Listed The Korea Adoption Services (KAS) Website Around 2022 / 2023 — Now It Can No Longer Be Efficiently Searched Using Google.

Yes, birth family search can be extremely difficult for many Korean Adoptees.

However, everyone’s experiences will vary. You should NOT assume that your case is like everyone else’s. There is no way to know exactly how your birth family search process will go without undergoing one.

How your birth family search proceeds depends greatly on whether or not you already have birth family information in your possession, such as birth parent name/s and birthdate/s. Many Korean Adoptees never look closely at their adoption paperwork, and do not realize that they may already possess important information which can greatly aid them in a birth family search. Others, however, may have no actionable information in the adoption files in their possession upon which to base a search.

Obtaining additional adoption documents from Korean and Western Adoption Agencies is a difficult, but not impossible process. It requires a great deal of work and patience, but thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world have undertaken this journey over decades of time. You are not alone in your journey.

For understandable reasons, most Korean Adoptees always begin a search with their adoption paperwork. Certainly this is the first starting point. However, for many Adoptees who either have no birth family information or who have falsified information, it can often take years to understand that birth family search often boils down to DNA testing. We always recommend that those Adoptees with an interest in birth family search take ALL possible DNA tests.

For more information, please see the FAQ sections on this page related to NCRC and DNA Testing.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world. There are also major Korean Adoptee conferences and “mini-gatherings” which happen every year, in different parts of the US, Europe, Canada, Australia, and in Korea.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please be sure to view ALL posts in this FAQ section, as the NCRC process is very complex and highly interrelated — particularly if you wish to visit NCRC’s TWO locations in Korea in person. Visiting NCRC’s two locations requires that you first complete the online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure process through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website in advance. You cannot book appointments at NCRC’s two locations UNTIL this online process is complete, and Adoptees often encounter issues with the very poorly functioning KAS website.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO WISH TO VISIT NCRC’S TWO LOCATIONS IN KOREA:

We highly recommend that if you plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, that you plan your trip at least 3-4 months in advance and set up all appointments 2 months prior to your trip.

*However, you can only book appointments at NCRC’s two locations not less than 2 weeks and not more than 2 months in advance.

NCRC has very few time slots available to meet in person with Adoptees at the Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, where ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files are stored. NCRC meets with Adoptees just 3 times per day / 3 days per week at the Temporary Storage Facility, where Adoptees can only VIEW their former Korean Adoption Agency file.

Adoptees are not allowed to photograph or get a copy of their file at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility. Adoptees can only get a COPY of their file at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul AFTER FIRST visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility to VIEW their file.

Adoptees who visit NCRC’s two locations in person MUST FIRST visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to VIEW their file, AND THEN set up a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a COPY of their file.

Adoptees may not simply visit NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of their file without first visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view their file.

For this reason, it is important to try to book an appointment at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view your file at the beginning of your trip to Korea, so that you do not run out of time to book a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of your file.

If you let NCRC tell you that they will “email you your file” (which won’t happen), please know that you will likely not receive a copy of your file through the KAS website for at least 5-8 months due to NCRC’s highly bottlenecked process.

You will get much faster service if you do everything in Korea. This is how Korea continues to make $$$ off of Adoptees.

The NCRC process is, in many ways, designed to make Adoptees FAIL. The better you are informed, the more successful you may be in the NCRC birth family search process!

+

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO DO NOT PLAN TO VISIT KOREA, AND WHO PLAN TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PETITION FOR ADOPTION INFORMATION DISCLOSURE PROCESS ONLINE ONLY:

Please note that NCRC has very few workers who are tasked with processing the thousands of requests of Korean Adoptees around the world. According to NCRC itself, there are about 2,000 backlogged cases in the queue. If you only complete the online process, and do not plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, expect long wait times for fulfillment of your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests — likely around 5-8 months.

NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) is the Korean Public Institution which took over ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files starting July 19th, 2025.

While Adoptees will likely continue to use the term NCRC, in Korea, NCRC is now called the “National Child Rights Agency” as of May 2026.

As of September 2025, ALL Korean Adoptees who wish to request their former Korean Adoption Agency documents and / or a birth family search must submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

*Please check the PAPERSLIP BLOG for updates regarding birth family search through NCRC.

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

How To Book An Appointment At NCRC’s Two Locations in Korea

Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC

ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — *Via Email!
Please note that Adoption Certificates are NOT historical adoption documents. An Adoption Certificate is a bureaucratic / red tape document which the Korean Government requires that an Adoptee obtain from NCRC in order to conduct specific birth family search related activities, such as visiting Jumin Centers and Korean police stations, and taking the KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) Missing Persons DNA Test. The KNPA test can be taken either at a Korean police station in Korea or at a Korean Consulate in the West. An Adoption Certificate is only valid for 3 months. You must complete certain forms and submit them to NCRC via email around one month in advance of your planned use of the Adoption Certificate, to allow NCRC enough time to complete your request.

How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT —NCRC Partners With Nest: “Support For Visits To Korea And Reunions With Birth Families” A Program For Overseas Adoptees.

How to contact NCRC if you experience issues creating a login for the KAS website — or have other KAS website related issues.

Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

DNA Testing

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Additional Links from Paperslip’s Co-Founder:

Example of My Completed “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form submitted to NCRC via the KAS website.

My visit to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

NEW! Step By Step Guide For Submitting Your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” To NCRC.

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible.

KAS (Korea Adoption Services) is the predecessor to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

NCRC still requires that Adoptees submit their Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests through the old KAS website. While NCRC recently performed a cosmetic update of the KAS website, unfortunately (and predictably) it’s years long lack of functionality remains the same.

Please be sure to read this ENTIRE FAQ section about NCRC BEFORE you submit your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request through the KAS website.

KAS English Website:
https://www.kadoption.or.kr/home/eng/main.do

KAS Korean Website:
https://www.kadoption.or.kr/home/kor/main.do

The current National Center for the Rights of Children (NCRC) system often feels less like a supportive administrative pipeline and more like an active obstacle course designed to produce dead ends.

Historically, the entire infrastructure of Overseas Korean Adoption relied on systemic "orphanization"—the deliberate scrubbing of known biological family details from English-facing paperwork to make children legally adoptable as "abandoned". Decades later, the public and legal mechanisms tasked with undoing this knot are fraught with structural, legal, and operational failures that disproportionately place the burden of failure on the Adoptee.

The current NCRC process is structurally prone to failure in several critical ways:

1. Structural Chaos and File Mismanagement

The massive transfer of over 250,000 physical adoption files from former private Korean Adoption Agencies (like KSS, Holt, KWS (formerly SWS / formerly CPS), and Eastern) to the NCRC has triggered severe administrative bottlenecks.

• The Backlog Crisis: The NCRC allocates only a handful of birth family search workers to handle the global influx of requests from a population of roughly 200,000 Overseas Adoptees.

• Lack of Infrastructure: The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has historically underfunded the NCRC, meaning there is no permanent, state-of-the-art archival storage facility. Files are currently kept at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, an hour north of the main part of Seoul, and active talks of moving them again to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives leave the physical safety and accessibility of these crucial "shadow files" in limbo.

• Broken Digital Portals: Adoptees are forced to interface with the Korea Adoption Services (KAS) website, an outdated, unstable platform prone to submission glitches.

2. The Ineffective "Three Registered Letters" Rule

When a search is initiated because an Adoptee's file contains birth parent names and birth dates (which cannot even be verified unless there is successful contact), the legal outreach protocol relies entirely on a highly flawed mechanism: registered mail.

• By law, the NCRC or agency sends up to three registered letters to the last known address of the birth parent. This process can be requested once per year — however, due to NCRC’s intense backlog of cases, it is unclear if this “once per year” request system can be fulfilled by NCRC.

• No Direct Phone Contact: Due to rigid domestic privacy laws, NCRC search workers are legally restricted from accessing or utilizing a biological parent’s direct phone number, forcing them to rely on physical mail.

• High Failure Rates: If a parent has moved, if the letter is intercepted by a current spouse or child from whom the adoption was kept a secret, or if it is mistaken for spam, the attempt fails. Roughly 50% of these letters go completely unreturned. If three letters yield no response, the search attempt is legally closed as a failure.

3. Asymmetric Information Gatekeeping

The NCRC acts as a rigid gatekeeper of information, prioritizing strict interpretation of privacy laws over an adult Adoptee's basic right to know their origin.

• "Paper Trail of Tears": If a biological parent is found to be deceased, the NCRC routinely refuses to provide the Adoptee with conclusive proof of death, information on surviving siblings, or the location of the parent's remains, leaving Adoptees with unresolved, ambiguous grief.

• The Consent Loophole: The system operates on an "opt-in" model for biological parents. If a parent is paralyzed by decades of intense societal shame, guilt, or fear of being socially ostracized in a conservative Korean society, their silence or avoidance is treated as a definitive "no". The Adoptee is rarely given the cultural context or counseling advocacy required to navigate this emotional wall.

4. Fragmented and Siloed DNA Databases

When paperwork searches fail, the default fallback advice is to test DNA. However, the state-run DNA program (the Korean Police KNPA DNA test) is entirely segregated from Western commercial databases.

• Adoptees must jump through specific bureaucratic hoops — specifically, Adoptees must request an “Adoption Certificate” from NCRC which is only good for three months — to register their DNA via Korean Consulates / Embassies abroad or at local police stations within Korea.

• This DNA is cross-checked only against Korea’s domestic missing persons database. Because DNA testing for missing relatives is not widely cross-promoted or culturally normalized among aging birth parents in South Korea, the odds of a match remain discouragingly low unless a birth parent is actively and knowingly working within the exact same state apparatus.

Because the institutional framework is so rigid, less than 20% of official family searches conducted through public channels since 2012 have resulted in a successful reunion. This reality forces many Adoptees to step completely outside the state pipeline—spending vast amounts of personal, emotional, and financial resources on independent, ground-level forensic investigations and commercial DNA tracking just to uncover basic truths about their own identity.

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Barriers To Birth Family Search In Korea and In The Western Countries of Adoption.

The Hard Truth About The Current State Of Birth Family Search.

How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

The following is from Paperslip’s existing page:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)— Regarding The Movement Of ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) Beginning July 19th, 2025.

Question:
Why did ALL Korean Adoption Agency files move to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) beginning July 19th, 2025?

Answer:
This is due to S. Korea’s June 17th, 2025 ratification of the Hague Adoption Convention, which entered into force on October 1st, 2025. Korea previously signed but did not ratify the Hague Adoption Convention until June 2025. Ratification of the Hague Adoption Convention stipulates the centralization of adoption files under one central authority. In S. Korea’s case, the designated central authority is the S. Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child), which began to take over ALL Korean Adoption Agency files beginning on July 19th, 2025. A total of around 260,000 Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to NCRC’s temporary storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do (please see the next Question / Answer set below for more info).

*Please note that S. Korea has previously signed the Hague Adoption Convention in 2013, and has recently ratified the Hague Adoption Convention on June 17th, 2025, which will enter into force on October 1st, 2025.

Please See:
Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (or Hague Adoption Convention)

Republic of Korea Deposits Instrument of Ratification for Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention (June 17th, 2025 KST)

Korea Herald article about Korea’s signing of the Hague Convention in 2025

Article 6 of the:
Hague Convention Text
HAGUE CONVENTION ON PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATION
IN RESPECT OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION

www.hcch.net

”CHAPTER III – CENTRAL AUTHORITIES AND ACCREDITED BODIES

Article 6

(1) A Contracting State shall designate a Central Authority to discharge the duties which are imposed by the Convention upon such authorities.

(2) Federal States, States with more than one system of law or States having autonomous territorial units shall be free to appoint more than one Central Authority and to specify the territorial or personal extent of their functions. Where a State has appointed more than one Central Authority, it shall designate the Central Authority to which any communication may be addressed for transmission to the appropriate Central Authority within that State.”

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible.

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible. But if not, you should still make a purely online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC — even if you have to wait for months for your request to be fulfilled — so that you can eventually obtain a PDF scan of your former Korean Adoption Agency file.

BEFORE you submit your Petition for Adoption Information Disclsoure to NCRC via the KAS website, please be sure to read the FAQ question at the top of this section: “*What IMPORTANT information should I know about NCRC?”

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here!
General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

Additional Links from Paperslip’s Co-Founder:

Example of My Completed “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form submitted to NCRC via the KAS website.
My visit to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

NEW! Step By Step Guide For Submitting Your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” To NCRC.

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible.

NCRC has TWO locations, which are geographically located about one hour apart.

NCRC location 1: NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

This is the location of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files. Adoptees may schedule an in-person appointment to VIEW their former Korean Adoption Agency file at this location. However, Adoptees are NOT allowed to photograph or get a copy of their file at this location. Adoptees may ONLY take handwritten notes. Adoptees are allowed to take up to 3 additional supporters with them to their meeting at this location.

NCRC location 2: NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul.

There are NO former Korean Adoption Agency files stored at this location.

Adoptees may schedule an appointment at this location to pick up a COPY of their file at this location. However, it is required that an Adoptee schedule to visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do FIRST, BEFORE they can schedule to pick up a COPY of their file at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul.

A note on timing of booking of appointments:

*Please note that you can book an appointments at NCRC’s 2 locations no more than around 2 months prior to your intended appointment, and no less than around 2 weeks prior to your intended appointment.

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*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please be sure to view ALL posts in this FAQ section, as the NCRC process is very complex and highly interrelated — particularly if you wish to visit NCRC’s TWO locations in Korea in person. Visiting NCRC’s two locations requires that you first complete the online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure process through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website in advance. You cannot book appointments at NCRC’s two locations UNTIL this online process is complete, and Adoptees often encounter issues with the very poorly functioning KAS website.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO WISH TO VISIT NCRC’S TWO LOCATIONS IN KOREA:

We highly recommend that if you plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, that you plan your trip at least 3-4 months in advance and set up all appointments 2 months prior to your trip.

NCRC has very few time slots available to meet in person with Adoptees at the Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, where ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files are stored. NCRC meets with Adoptees just 3 times per day / 3 days per week at the Temporary Storage Facility, where Adoptees can only VIEW their former Korean Adoption Agency file.

Adoptees are not allowed to photograph or get a copy of their file at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility. Adoptees can only get a COPY of their file at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul AFTER FIRST visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility to VIEW their file.

Adoptees who visit NCRC’s two locations in person MUST FIRST visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to VIEW their file, AND THEN set up a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a COPY of their file.

Adoptees may not simply visit NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of their file without first visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view their file.

For this reason, it is important to try to book an appointment at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view your file at the beginning of your trip to Korea, so that you do not run out of time to book a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of your file.

If you let NCRC tell you that they will “email you your file” (which won’t happen), please know that you will likely not receive a copy of your file through the KAS website for at least 5-8 months due to NCRC’s highly bottlenecked process.

You will get much faster service if you do everything in Korea. This is how Korea continues to make $$$ off of Adoptees.

The NCRC process is, in many ways, designed to make Adoptees FAIL. The better you are informed, the more successful you may be in the NCRC birth family search process!

+

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO DO NOT PLAN TO VISIT KOREA, AND WHO PLAN TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PETITION FOR ADOPTION INFORMATION DISCLOSURE PROCESS ONLINE ONLY:

Please note that NCRC has very few workers who are tasked with processing the thousands of requests of Korean Adoptees around the world. According to NCRC itself, there are about 2,000 backlogged cases in the queue. If you only complete the online process, and do not plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, expect long wait times for fulfillment of your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests — likely around 5-8 months.

+

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

*Please check the PAPERSLIP BLOG for updates regarding birth family search through NCRC.

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

How To Book An Appointment At NCRC’s Two Locations in Korea
Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC

Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC.

ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — *Via Email!
Please note that Adoption Certificates are NOT historical adoption documents. An Adoption Certificate is a bureaucratic / red tape document which the Korean Government requires that an Adoptee obtain from NCRC in order to conduct specific birth family search related activities, such as visiting Jumin Centers and Korean police stations, and taking the KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) Missing Persons DNA Test. The KNPA test can be taken either at a Korean police station in Korea or at a Korean Consulate in the West. An Adoption Certificate is only valid for 3 months. You must complete certain forms and submit them to NCRC via email around one month in advance of your planned use of the Adoption Certificate, to allow NCRC enough time to complete your request.

How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT —NCRC Partners With Nest: “Support For Visits To Korea And Reunions With Birth Families” A Program For Overseas Adoptees.

How to contact NCRC if you experience issues creating a login for the KAS website — or have other KAS website related issues.
Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

DNA Testing

+

Additional Links from Paperslip’s Co-Founder:

Example of My Completed “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form submitted to NCRC via the KAS website.
My visit to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

NEW! Step By Step Guide For Submitting Your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” To NCRC.

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible.

In order to book appointments at NCRC’s TWO locations, Adoptees must FIRST submit an online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure through to NCRC via the KAS website.

NCRC has TWO locations, which are geographically located about one hour apart.

NCRC location 1: NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

This is the location of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files. Adoptees may schedule an in-person appointment to VIEW their former Korean Adoption Agency file at this location. However, Adoptees are NOT allowed to photograph or get a copy of their file at this location. Adoptees may ONLY take handwritten notes. Adoptees are allowed to take up to 3 additional supporters with them to their meeting at this location.

NCRC location 2: NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul.

There are NO former Korean Adoption Agency files stored at this location.

Adoptees may schedule an appointment at this location to pick up a COPY of their file at this location. However, it is required that an Adoptee schedule to visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do FIRST, BEFORE they can schedule to pick up a COPY of their file at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul.

*Please note that you can book an appointments at NCRC’s 2 locations no more than around 2 months prior to your intended appointment, and no less than around 2 weeks prior to your intended appointment.

+

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please be sure to view ALL posts in this FAQ section, as the NCRC process is very complex and highly interrelated — particularly if you wish to visit NCRC’s TWO locations in Korea in person. Visiting NCRC’s two locations requires that you first complete the online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure process through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website in advance. You cannot book appointments at NCRC’s two locations UNTIL this online process is complete, and Adoptees often encounter issues with the very poorly functioning KAS website.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO WISH TO VISIT NCRC’S TWO LOCATIONS IN KOREA:

We highly recommend that if you plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, that you plan your trip at least 3-4 months in advance and set up all appointments 2 months prior to your trip.

NCRC has very few time slots available to meet in person with Adoptees at the Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, where ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files are stored. NCRC meets with Adoptees just 3 times per day / 3 days per week at the Temporary Storage Facility, where Adoptees can only VIEW their former Korean Adoption Agency file.

Adoptees are not allowed to photograph or get a copy of their file at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility. Adoptees can only get a COPY of their file at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul AFTER FIRST visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility to VIEW their file.

Adoptees who visit NCRC’s two locations in person MUST FIRST visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to VIEW their file, AND THEN set up a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a COPY of their file.

Adoptees may not simply visit NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of their file without first visiting NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view their file.

For this reason, it is important to try to book an appointment at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to view your file at the beginning of your trip to Korea, so that you do not run out of time to book a second appointment at NCRC’s Main Office in Seoul to get a copy of your file.

If you let NCRC tell you that they will “email you your file” (which won’t happen), please know that you will likely not receive a copy of your file through the KAS website for at least 5-8 months due to NCRC’s highly bottlenecked process.

You will get much faster service if you do everything in Korea. This is how Korea continues to make $$$ off of Adoptees.

The NCRC process is, in many ways, designed to make Adoptees FAIL. The better you are informed, the more successful you may be in the NCRC birth family search process!

+

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES WHO DO NOT PLAN TO VISIT KOREA, AND WHO PLAN TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PETITION FOR ADOPTION INFORMATION DISCLOSURE PROCESS ONLINE ONLY:

Please note that NCRC has very few workers who are tasked with processing the thousands of requests of Korean Adoptees around the world. According to NCRC itself, there are about 2,000 backlogged cases in the queue. If you only complete the online process, and do not plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person, expect long wait times for fulfillment of your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests — likely around 5-8 months.

+

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

*Please check the PAPERSLIP BLOG for updates regarding birth family search through NCRC.

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview.

How To Book An Appointment At NCRC’s Two Locations in KoreaAddress and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC

Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC.

ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — *Via Email!
Please note that Adoption Certificates are NOT historical adoption documents. An Adoption Certificate is a bureaucratic / red tape document which the Korean Government requires that an Adoptee obtain from NCRC in order to conduct specific birth family search related activities, such as visiting Jumin Centers and Korean police stations, and taking the KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) Missing Persons DNA Test. The KNPA test can be taken either at a Korean police station in Korea or at a Korean Consulate in the West. An Adoption Certificate is only valid for 3 months. You must complete certain forms and submit them to NCRC via email around one month in advance of your planned use of the Adoption Certificate, to allow NCRC enough time to complete your request.

How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT —NCRC Partners With Nest: “Support For Visits To Korea And Reunions With Birth Families” A Program For Overseas Adoptees.

How to contact NCRC if you experience issues creating a login for the KAS website — or have other KAS website related issues.
Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

DNA Testing

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Additional Links from Paperslip’s Co-Founder:

Example of My Completed “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” form submitted to NCRC via the KAS website.
My visit to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

NEW! Step By Step Guide For Submitting Your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” To NCRC.

It is definitely worth it to submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC. It is best to visit in person if possible.

Please note that Adoption Certificates are NOT historical adoption documents. An Adoption Certificate is a bureaucratic / red tape document which the Korean Government requires that an Adoptee obtain from NCRC in order to conduct specific birth family search related activities, such as visiting Jumin Centers and Korean police stations, and taking the KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) Missing Persons DNA Test. The KNPA test can be taken either at a Korean police station in Korea or at a Korean Consulate in the West.

An Adoption Certificate is only valid for 3 months.

You must complete certain forms and submit them to NCRC via email around one month in advance of your planned use of the Adoption Certificate, to allow NCRC enough time to complete your request.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — *Via Email!

Please note that NCRC will REDACT information related to your adoptive parents which appears in your former Korean Adoption Agency file, if you do NOT have your adoptive parents complete NCRC’s relevant form.

For step by step instructions, please see the section called “Prep Step 2” on the Paperslip page titled:

ALL Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview:

“Prep Step 2:

Did You Know?
NCRC will redact information in your file related to your adoptive parents, unless you obtain their consent.”

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How to contact NCRC if you experience issues creating a login for the KAS website — or have other KAS website related issues.

While the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies no longer possess Korean Adoptees’ files, you can still join various Korean Adoptee Facebook groups related to the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies, to ask questions and seek advice from other Korean Adoptees from your respective Korean Adoption Agencies:

Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

There are a million things to prepare, not all of which we can cover, but one pro-tip is below:

1. Make good quality COPIES of your adoption paperwork and take PRINTED COPIES to Korea with you. Do NOT take original documents, as you could lose them — and you will likely NEVER be able to obtain them again.

It is particularly important to take copies of any documents containing information about birth parent/s — such as their name/s, birthdate/s, and — if you are lucky enough to have them — their 13 digit Korean ID numbers.

Anywhere you go for birth family search, be sure to take these printed copies of your adoption documents. Please make sure that the copies are CLEAR and can be easily read. No one can help you if you have a tiny photo of your documents on your phone!

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Travel Tips For First Time Korean Adoptee Visitors To Korea.

Read about Korean Adoptee Tours here:

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

If you have never been to Korea before, and plan to conduct a birth family search, we strongly recommend that you consult with us at least 3-4 months in advance.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

We cannot more strongly recommend that you plan any birth family trips to Korea at least 4-5 months in advance, and that if you want to visit NCRC, that you make sure you can book an appointment BEFORE you book your flight and hotel accommodations.

You can only book an appointment at NCRC’s two locations 2 months in advance. The minimum amount of time to book an NCRC appointment is 2 weeks in advance.

Since NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility — where ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files are currently stored — only has limited time appointment slots, we cannot more strongly recommend that you do NOT book your flight or hotel UNTIL you know for SURE that you have booked appointments at NCRC’s two locations.

Please see the related FAQ questions in this section about how to book appointments at NCRC’s two locations.

The process is confusing, which is why we so strongly recommend that you read our FAQ to understand the process well in advance of booking your trip to Korea!

*Please note that at least as of this writing, you can book appointments at NCRC’s 2 locations no more than around 2 months prior to your intended appointment, and no less than around 2 weeks prior to your intended appointment.

Yes. When you complete your online Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure form via the KAS website, you can choose whether or not you wish NCRC to conduct a birth family search, in addition to requesting your former Korean Adoption Agency documents.

Please be sure to read the rest of this FAQ section about NCRC to understand the NCRC process for both purely online requests, and online requests for in-person visits to NCRC’s two locations in Korea.

This depends on whether you plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in Korea in person, or if you only plan to submit your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC online via the KAS website.

Please note that you MUST submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC online via the KAS website either way — if you plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in Korea in person, OR if you only plan to do everything with NCRC online.

Everything related to birth family search happens must fa$ter in Korea.

If you do NOT plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person in Korea, and you submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC online via the KAS website, then you can expect a 5-8 month response time to your request.

If you DO plan to visit NCRC’s two locations in person in Korea, and you submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC online via the KAS website — and assuming you are able to book appointments at BOTH of NCRC’s TWO locations — then your wait time will be much shorter in terms of being able to VIEW and get a COPY of your former Korean Adoption Agency file.

However, this assumes that you will be able to book an appointment in the first place — particularly at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, which meets just 3 times per week / 3 times per day with Adoptees. Booking appointments during the busy Summer months and when there are Korean Adoptee tours or conferences in town is going to be like trying to book concert tickets. We highly recommend that you do NOT purchase your flight and hotel accommodations UNLESS you are able to book and confirm appointments at NCRC. This assumes of course that visiting NCRC’s two locations to both VIEW and get a COPY of your former Korean Adoption Agency file is important to you.

Please note that you must FIRST book an appointment at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to VIEW your file, and THEN book a SECOND, LATER appointment at NCRC’s Main Office to pick up a COPY of your file.

For more information, please be sure to READ CAREFULLY the rest of this FAQ section titled:

FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

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The bottom line is:

Everything happens faster if you are in Korea in person. However, the NCRC process is designed to make Adoptees fail, so if you do not understand the NCRC process MONTHS in advance of your trip to Korea, you will probably leave Korea empty handed in terms of your former Korean Adoption Agency file.

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

NCRC has a backlog of around 2,000 Korean Adoptees’ cases going back to Fall 2025.

My visit to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS Adoptees: Please be aware of complications regarding the KSS document called the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” when making Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests to NCRC.

We are currently not sure IF or when this will happen.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

The transfer of all former Korean Adoption Agency files from NCRC to the National Archives may be in doubt.

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Background information:

Originally, all former Korean Adoption Agency files were supposed to be transferred from NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives at some point in “early 2026”.

An MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) was formed between NCRC and the National Archives in October 2025, shortly after the July 19th, 2025 transfer of all all former Korean Adoption Agency files from the Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

However, a recent report (see below) from April 1st, 2026 calls into doubt the planned transfer of all former Korean Adoption Agency files from NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives.

At this point — as of this writing on June 19th, 2026 — it remains unclear as to whether or not all former Korean Adoption Agency files will actually be transferred from NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives. 

We will share information as it becomes publicly available. 

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A Korean article in the Hankook Ilbo from April 1st, 2026 states the following (translation via ChatGPT):

“Society
Health/Welfare
Welfare Ministry Fails to Make Headway on Transfer of Adoption Records to National Archives; Disinfection Method Also Sparks Controversy

Published: April 1, 2026, 5:09 PM
By Dara Won

Transfer of 240,000 Volumes of Adoption Records Delayed

• Plan is to fumigate records before transferring them to the National Archives

• Concerns that film and photographic materials could deteriorate or be damaged

• “It is difficult to provide a specific schedule”

• Establishment of a dedicated adoption archives facility also remains stalled

The government had pledged to transfer adoption records received from private adoption agencies to the National Archives by the first half of this year, but it has now emerged that it has not even begun the preliminary work, including disinfection. Officials say the delay resulted from the time needed to determine an appropriate disinfection method. However, critics argue that because National Archives guidelines require all transferred materials to undergo prior disinfection, the government may have announced the plan without sufficient review.

On April 1, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a press briefing on adoption records and adoption procedures, stating, “We have decided to use fumigation with a chemical substance (ethylene oxide gas)” and added, “It is difficult to provide a specific timeline for the transfer to the National Archives, but we will proceed as quickly as possible.”

Photo: A temporary storage facility for adoption records operated by the National Center for the Rights of the Child in a warehouse in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Previously, the National Center for the Rights of the Child, an agency under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, announced in October last year that it would transfer the records to the National Archives by the first half of this year after concerns were raised about the temporary storage facility’s vulnerability to fire. Given that the collection consists of approximately 240,000 volumes of records in varying conditions and formats, substantial preprocessing work was always likely to be required. Critics say the agency appears to have set a timeline without fully accounting for this reality.

The decision to use fumigation has also become controversial. The adoption records include materials such as film negatives and photographs stored in plastic sleeves that could potentially be damaged during fumigation. This method, commonly used in museum and cultural heritage storage facilities, involves introducing chemical gases into a sealed space, maintaining a specific concentration, and then removing the gas. While effective at eliminating mold and pests, the gases can penetrate organic materials such as paper, photographs, and film. In particular, film and photographic materials may suffer chemical deterioration, image degradation, or separation of layers.

In response, a representative of the National Center for the Rights of the Child stated, “Research findings and past cases indicate that fumigation has only a minimal effect on film materials, which is why we selected this method.” However, the official also acknowledged, “We do not yet have an accurate assessment of how much film material is included among the 240,000 volumes.” The agency said it plans to conduct sample fumigation tests to further verify whether the method is appropriate.

More fundamentally, the government had promised to establish a dedicated adoption archives facility where the materials could ultimately be preserved. However, progress on that initiative has also been slow. Although the Ministry secured funding last year for a research project on establishing an adoption archives center, it has not yet even issued a public notice for the project. A ministry official said, “We will move forward as quickly as possible.”

The delay in transferring adoption records is already affecting adoptees. Processing requests for access to adoption records has slowed, and the transfer of adoption-related records held by local governments has also been postponed. The Ministry explained that it is attempting to improve the process by “providing de-identified information first and then obtaining consent from biological parents.”

Meanwhile, controversy has arisen over reports that executives and employees of the National Center for the Rights of the Child referred to prospective adoptive parents and children awaiting adoption as “inventory” and “human guinea pigs.” The agency stated that it plans to comprehensively verify the facts and circumstances surrounding those remarks.

Regarding delays in adoption procedures, the Ministry noted that “even when private adoption agencies handled the process, adoption procedures took an average of more than 550 days.” It said it intends to improve the system through measures such as introducing online applications, expanding training programs for prospective adoptive parents, and increasing staffing levels.”

Dara Won
dara@hankookilbo.com

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Should I submit requests for my Korean adoption documents and /or a birth family search through NCRC, or should I file a case with TRC 3 instead?

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

KSS = Korea Social Service

KSS was S. Korea’s smallest Korean Adoption Agency.

KSS sent children for adoption to the US, Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland between 1964-2012, through a specific list of Partner Western Adoption Agencies.

KSS operated Post Adoption Services between 2012-2025.

On July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files — including those of KSS — were transferred to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).

ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files — including those of KSS — are currently housed at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

Please see the FAQ on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page for more information, titled:

“FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child)”

At some point in the future, the files may be transferred AGAIN to an undetermined location.

NO!

KSS (Korea Social Service) is an entirely DIFFERENT Korean Adoption Agency than KWS (Korea Welfare Society).

KSS ONLY adopted to the US, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland between 1964-2012.

KSS did NOT adopt to Sweden.

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KWS (Korea Welfare Society) which was formerly SWS (Social Welfare Society) which was formerly CPS (Child Placement Services) is the Korean Adoption Agency which adopted to Sweden.

Please see:

KSS (Korea Social Service) is NOT the same as KWS (Korea Welfare Society). KSS did NOT adopt to Sweden.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How do I know if I am a KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee?

The text below is excerpted from Paperslip’s page, titled:

Illustrated Sequence of KSS’ Known Numbering Systems.

Important Building Block Concepts To Understand:

It is important to understand that KSS (Korea Social Service) was a Korean Adoption Agency, based in Seoul. KSS processed children for overseas adoption between 1964-2012 in cooperation with a specific list of Partner Western Adoption Agencies.

KSS could have gotten children from ANYWHERE in S. Korea. While ALL KSS children were processed out of Seoul, since that is where KSS was based, this definitely does not mean that ALL KSS Adoptees were BORN in Seoul.

There was a great deal of movement of children around Korea in the context of overseas adoption.

Please note that at least starting around 1976, only a Korean Adoption Agency such as KSS could have sent a child overseas for adoption. “Feeder Orphanages” could NOT (legally) do this.

KSS was a Korean Adoption Agency and Orphanage in one.

KSS could only house up to around 150 children at a time at KSS’ former campus in Seoul, however, and so most children were not housed directly at KSS for long periods of time. However, we believe that most children spent around 1-2 weeks at KSS in order to be processed for overseas adoption prior to their being sent abroad, assuming they came into KSS’ system through an external “feeder orphanage” or other source of children, such as a maternity clinic or hospital. Some children were also directly relinquished by birth parents or extended birth family members directly to KSS in Seoul.

With only a few individual exceptions, KSS ONLY adopted to the US, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland between 1964-2012, through a specific list of Partner Western Adoption Agencies.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

List of All Known Korea Social Service (KSS) Partner Western Adoption Agencies in the US and Europe.

Please see related:

KSS K-Numbers

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS Adoption Paperwork: Possible Locations of Birth Parent Information.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Special Note: KSS probably LIED to you if they said they did NOT have a copy of your “English Adoptive Child Study Summary”.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS Adoptees can now obtain additional records from NCRC (after the July 19th, 2025 file transfer). Use this guide to identify key KSS documents that should be in your KSS file at NCRC.

Please see related:

KSS Adoption Paperwork: Possible Locations of Birth Parent Information.

KSS (Korea Social Service) still exists as a broader organization, but KSS only processed overseas adoptions between 1964-2012.

As of July 19th, 2025,KSS Post Adoption Services is now PERMANENTLY CLOSED.

Please see:

The KSS Board of Directors approved the closure of the KSS Adoption Agency on December 27th, 2025. KSS will continue to operate other businesses likely indefinitely.

Presumably starting in 2012, KSS operated Post Adoption Services for Adoptees until July 19th, 2025.

July 19th, 2025 is the date when ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files — including those of KSS — began to be transferred to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

In 2016, KSS tore down its former campus in Seoul. At this point, presumably KSS transferred its files to a nearby Post Adoption Services building, which still physically exists (but is no longer in operation) as of this writing on June 15th, 2026. KSS’ Post Adoption Services building appears to have been a converted garden shed which was originally part of KSS’ main campus — though we do not know the original purpose of the building or when it was built — which is on the back edge of the former KSS campus in Seoul.

While you can no longer make appointments to visit KSS’ Post Adoption Services building in Seoul, you can still visit the area where the Post Adoption Services building (for now) remains).

Please see:

Contact Info for KSS - Korea Social Service - Korean Adoption Agency

The K.S.S. Receiving Home in Seoul - The Old KSS Campus

KSS’ website

Prior to the July 19th, 2025 transfer of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files to NCRC (including those of KSS), we took screenshots of KSS’ website, since we believed that KSS would likely take its website down at some point. While KSS’ website still exists (since KSS continues to run other businesses), portions of the website related to Post Adoption Services have since been removed. We have a partial archive of them below.

Please see:

KSS Website (English and Korean) Partial Backups.

KSS (Korea Social Service) still exists as a broader organization, but KSS only processed overseas adoptions between 1964-2012.

Presumably between 2012-2025, KSS operated Post Adoption Services for Adoptees.

In 2016, KSS tore down its former campus in Seoul. At this point, presumably KSS transferred its files to a nearby Post Adoption Services building, which still exists as of this writing on June 15th, 2026. KSS’ Post Adoption Services building appears to have been a converted garden shed which was originally part of KSS’ main campus — though we do not know the original purpose of the building or when it was built — which is on the back edge of the former KSS campus in Seoul.

While you can no longer make appointments to visit KSS’ Post Adoption Services building in Seoul, you can still visit the area where the Post Adoption Services building (for now) remains).

Please see:
Contact Info for KSS - Korea Social Service - Korean Adoption Agency

The K.S.S. Receiving Home in Seoul - The Old KSS Campus

KSS’ website

Prior to the July 19th, 2025 transfer of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files to NCRC (including those of KSS), we took screenshots of KSS’ website, since we believed that KSS would likely take its website down at some point. While KSS’ website still exists (since KSS continues to run other businesses), portions of the website related to Post Adoption Services have since been removed. We have a partial archive of them below:

KSS Website (English and Korean) Partial Backups.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Diagram of KSS's former Post Adoption Services (PAS) building in Seoul.

The KSS File Room at KSS’ Post Adoption Services Building, 2016-2025.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS Website (English and Korean) Partial Backups. 

Note: While the KSS website still exists, KSS no longer operates Post Adoption Services or possesses any KSS Adoptees’ files.

ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do on July 19th, 2025.

Please see the FAQ section about NCRC on this page for more info.

Please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s Header titled “KSS History”.

There are many pages related to KSS History within this dropdown.

A few key pages from the DROPDOWN MENU titled “KSS History” are:

Korea Social Service (KSS) History

Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List

Nam Kwang Orphanage In Busan:
Campus Signs

KSS Historical Figures

The KSS Receiving Home in Seoul -The Old KSS Campus

KSS K-Numbers

KSS Website (English and Korean) Partial Backups

Trigger Warning:
Possible Real-Life Relinquishment Scenarios for Korean Adoptees

Terminology + Acronyms + Adoption Procedures

Trigger Warning: Disturbing Content:
If you do not wish to learn about the dark side of KSS, then you should not read further:

Seongam Academy

Before KSS tore down its main campus in Seoul in 2016, KSS stored KSS Adoptees’ files in the K.S.S. Receiving Home, which was the main brick building with the blue tiled roof (Building 2 in KSS’ diorama of its old campus, pictured in the links below). This building housed KSS’ offices, the Han Hwa Children’s Medical Clinic, and also nursery rooms at various points in time.

After KSS tore down its main campus in 2016 and sold the land for apartment construction, KSS presumably moved all KSS Adoptees’ files to what appears to have been a converted garden shed (this is conjecture) at the back corner of the former KSS campus. This white single story structure (Building 1 in KSS’ diorama) became KSS’ Post Adoption Services building. It is this file room which I photographed at some point between 2019 - 2021. You can see photos and an AI recreation of KSS’ file room which I generated on the page linked below.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

The KSS File Room at KSS’ Post Adoption Services Building, 2016-2025.

The KSS Receiving Home in Seoul -The Old KSS Campus.

KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY are welcome to join the private, KSS Adoptee Only forum called:

KSS Cribmates

Please be sure to answer the membership questions, or your request will be declined!

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ALL Korean Adoptees are welcome to join the private, Korean Adoptee Only forum called:

Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptees 한국사회봉사회 + Friends

Please be sure to answer the membership questions, or your request will be declined!

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Anyone may follow Paperslip’s PUBLIC Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/PaperslipOrphan

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Anyone may check Paperslip’s BLOG for frequent updates:

PAPERSLIP BLOG: INFO HUB FOR TRC 3 AND IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATES

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Old KSS (Korea Social Service) Brochures — Containing Statistics of KSS children.

According to KSS itself, KSS adopted about 10,000 children to the US, and about 10,000 children to Europe (Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland).

There were a few small exceptions in individual Adoptees’ cases, but these were the primary countries to which KSS primarily adopted.

A rough breakdown:

KSS sent about 10,000 children to the US.

Nearly ALL Dutch Korean Adoptees are from KSS. The number of Dutch Korean Adoptees is estimated to be about 4,500.

Around half of all Danish Korean Adoptees are from KSS. The approximate number of Danish KSS Adoptees is estimated to be around 4,500.

Paperslip’s original research has resulted in the terms “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” and “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” being coined in 2021.

We coined these terms to differentiate these documents from one another.

Examples of the ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary can be found here:

ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary

This document is the root of why this site is called “Paperslip” — since countless thousands of KSS Adoptees’ English Adoptive Child Study Summary documents — which were provided to prospective adoptive parents along with a photo of a KSS child for consideration for adoption in the context of proxy adoption — often stated that a child was “abandoned” and found with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in her or his “clothings” (sic).

Yet secretly, amongst other documents, KSS kept a document which we coined as the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” in 2021.

Examples of the formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” can be found here:

KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary

Until we at Paperslip accidentally figured out how to request and obtain this document from KSS in 2021, KSS rarely willingly shared this document with Adoptees, unless they visited KSS in Seoul in person — and even then, it was never a guarantee that an Adoptee would be told about this document by KSS.

Please see:

How Two US KSS Adoptees Figured Out How To Obtain KSS’ Formerly Secret ”Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” In July 2021.

From 2021-2025, Paperslip’s relentless mission was to inform as many KSS Adoptees as possible about how to request and obtain this formerly secret document.

Often, though not always, the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary for the same KSS Adoptee whose English Adoptive Child Study Summary stated that they had been “abandoned” by “unknown parents” contained information identifying or describing the birth parents.

Between 2021-2025, Paperslip helped hundreds of KSS Adoptees to request and obtain their formerly secret KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary — prior to the transfer of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files (including those of KSS) to NCRC.

These documents became the evidentiary backbone of the TRC 2 Interim Report of March 26th, 2025.

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Another document which I uniquely identified was the formerly wholly secret, internal KSS form called:

국내소속서류작성의뢰서
“Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents”.

I discovered and photographed this document in my own KSS file at KSS in 2018. No one else has ever documented this form, as KSS NEVER shared it with anyone but internal KSS staff. This document can now be obtained through a regular Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure request to NCRC via the KAS website. Please see:

KSS-specific documents are now available from NCRC, such as the “Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents,” along with other KSS documents.

Please see related:

KSS Numbering Systems

I visited NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility to VIEW my KSS adoption file in March 2026. I had already taken photos of the majority of my KSS adoption file in 2018 at KSS, when its former Post Adoption Services building was still open.

Below are examples of documents from my 1975 / 1976 KSS adoption file. Please note that KSS Adoptees’ files will contain some similar documents, and some different documents, depending upon the circumstances of her or his relinquishment scenario.

Please note that the style of certain documents (such as the English Adoptive Child Study Summary and Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary) changed over time. Depending upon the year that you were first at KSS, your documents may look different than mine.

Also note that older KSS documents may contain a mixture of Hanja (an older form of Korean which is a mixture of Chinese and Hangul) and Hangul. Documents from the 1970s and prior which contain Hanja text can often be difficult to translate, since few Koreans speak / write / read Hanja anymore.

Some KSS Adoptees were first housed at a “feeder orphanage” prior to being transferred to KSS. There are related KSS documents relevant to that particular scenario.

It is also important to note that some KSS “feeder orphanages” — such as Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan and Star of the Sea in Incheon — are still open, and that Adoptees may be able to obtain documents directly from these “feeder orphanages”.

Other KSS Adoptees were relinquished by birth parents directly to KSS. Such Adoptees may have documents in their KSS file relevant to that particular scenario.

There are certain documents which the majority of KSS Adoptees should have in their KSS file, such as:

-The English Adoptive Child Study
-The Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary
-“국내소속서류작성의뢰서” (Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents)
-Physical Examination for Emigrant
-Etc.

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

My KSS (Korea Social Service) file from NCRC.

Illustrated Catalog of Known KSS Documents.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

A significant omission across all KSS Adoptees’ adoption files is the lack of documented correspondence with its Partner Western Adoption Agencies in the US, Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Paperslip’s original research has resulted in the terms “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” and “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” being coined in 2021.

We coined these terms to differentiate these documents from one another.

Examples of the ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary can be found here:

ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary

This document is the root of why this site is called “Paperslip” — since countless thousands of KSS Adoptees’ English Adoptive Child Study Summary documents — which were provided to prospective adoptive parents along with a photo of a KSS child for consideration for adoption in the context of proxy adoption — often stated that a child was “abandoned” and found with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in her or his “clothings” (sic).

Yet secretly, amongst other documents, KSS kept a document which we coined as the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” in 2021.

Examples of the formerly secret “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” can be found here:

KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary

Until we at Paperslip accidentally figured out how to request and obtain this document from KSS in 2021, KSS rarely willingly shared this document with Adoptees, unless they visited KSS in Seoul in person — and even then, it was never a guarantee that an Adoptee would be told about this document by KSS.

Please see:

How Two US KSS Adoptees Figured Out How To Obtain KSS’ Formerly Secret ”Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” In July 2021.

From 2021-2025, Paperslip’s relentless mission was to inform as many KSS Adoptees as possible about how to request and obtain this formerly secret document.

Often, though not always, the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary for the same KSS Adoptee whose English Adoptive Child Study Summary stated that they had been “abandoned” by “unknown parents” contained information identifying or describing the birth parents.

Between 2021-2025, Paperslip helped hundreds of KSS Adoptees to request and obtain their formerly secret KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary — prior to the transfer of ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files (including those of KSS) to NCRC.

These documents became the evidentiary backbone of the TRC 2 Interim Report of March 26th, 2025.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

What is a KSS “Shadow File”? Is there more than one type of “Shadow File”?

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

What To Do If Your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary Does Not Have Birth Parent Info.
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General Next Steps In Birth Family Search.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

The formerly secret “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary” sometimes (though not always) contains birth parent name/s and birthdate/s. This will depend on each Adoptee’s case:

Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary Examples and Translation Keys

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Please note that SOME KSS Adoptees “English Adoptive Child Study Summary” documents contain birth parent name/s and birthdate/s. This will depend on each Adoptee’s case:

English Adoptive Child Study Summary Examples

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The document below was NEVER previously obtainable from KSS. All KSS Adoptees can now obtain this document through a standard Petition for Information Disclosure request through NCRC via the KAS website:

국내소속서류작성의뢰서
“Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents”.

Please see:

Even KSS Adoptees among the 56 TRC 2 decision recipients did NOT receive the KSS form “국내소속서류작성의뢰서” (Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents).

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If you were at a “feeder orphanage” PRIOR to be transferred to KSS, several of these “feeder orphanages” remain open in Korea, and can be visited. You can also request information by email. Most reliably, you can contact Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan.

Please note that KSS has openly admitted that it frequently used Nam Kwang as fake information in many Adoptees’ files in order to “Orphanize” them (disguise their true origins). However, Nam Kwang was and is a real place, and remains open to this day. Adoptees can email or visit to request background information. Nam Kwang will respond quickly in English, but the amount of information you may receive from them will greatly vary:

Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List.

*Please note that often these “feeder orphanages” — such as Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan and Star of the Sea in Incheon, (etc). are often mentioned in the Adoptee’s English Adoptive Child Study Summary.

*Please note that if you visit Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan in person, you will probably need a translator, as on site Nam Kwang workers do not speak English (though they can respond to emails in English).

KSS was a Korean Adoption Agency and Orphanage in one. It is important to understand that while KSS was founded in 1964 and sent children for overseas adoption program until 2012, beginning around 1976 the Korean Government mandated that only Korean Adoption Agencies could process overseas adoptions. This meant that Orphanages could not themselves (legally) send children abroad for overseas adoption.

KSS only had capacity to house around 150 children at a time on site at KSS’ campus in Seoul, which functioned as both a Korean Adoption Agency and Orphanage in one. The main building of KSS’ campus in Seoul was often referred to in the English Adoptive Child Study Summary documents of KSS Adoptees as the “K.S.S. Receiving Home”.

Many children who were eventually sent for overseas adoption by KSS were “sourced” from a country -wide network of “Feeder Orphanages”. Many of these orphanages were located outside of Seoul.

We know of the major KSS “Feeder Orphanages” but may not know of all of them.

Major KSS “Feeder Orphanages” — orphanages which fed children into KSS’ overseas adoption pipelines — still exist, and in many cases, Adoptees have been able to obtain varying degrees of information from them — from practically nothing, to highly significant information about birth parents.

Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan and Star of the Sea in Incheon are both still open, and can be visited by Adoptees.

Adoptees can easily visit, and request information from Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan through email. Please see the link below for Nam Kwang’s contact information.

Please note that KSS itself has admitted that it often used Nam Kwang as false information in KSS Adoptees’ files. However, many KSS Adoptees were actually at Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan, prior to being transferred to KSS in Seoul. The only way to find out if a feeder orphanage like Nam Kwang has information about you is to contact them by email or visit them in person.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List.

Major KSS “Feeder Orphanages” — orphanages which fed children into KSS’ overseas adoption pipelines — still exist, and in many cases, Adoptees have been able to obtain varying degrees of information from them — from practically nothing, to highly significant information about birth parents.

Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan and Star of the Sea in Incheon are both still open, and can be visited by Adoptees.

Adoptees can easily visit, and request information from Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan through email. Please see the link below for Nam Kwang’s contact information.

Please note that KSS itself has admitted that it often used Nam Kwang as false information in KSS Adoptees’ files. However, many KSS Adoptees were actually at Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan, prior to being transferred to KSS in Seoul. The only way to find out if a feeder orphanage like Nam Kwang has information about you is to contact them by email or visit them in person.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS K-Numbers

KSS Numbering Systems

Illustrated Sequence of KSS’ Known Numbering Systems.

My 2019 email correspondence with KSS sheds light on KSS’ Numbering Systems.

Please see related:

KSS-specific documents are now available from NCRC, such as the “Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents,” along with other KSS documents.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS K-Numbers

KSS Numbering Systems

Illustrated Sequence of KSS’ Known Numbering Systems.

My 2019 email correspondence with KSS sheds light on KSS’ Numbering Systems.

Please see related:

KSS-specific documents are now available from NCRC, such as the “Request Form for Preparation of Domestic Affiliation Documents,” along with other KSS documents.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Decoding the KSS Adoption File: A Deep Dive into Its Structure and Three Core KSS Numbering Systems Using the ACQUIRE / COOK / DELIVER Analogy.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

KSS Adoptees: Please be aware of complications regarding the KSS document called the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” when making Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests to NCRC.

Please click below to view the related link/s:

Old KSS (Korea Social Service) Brochures.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Frankly, birth family search may, in the future, boil down to primarily DNA testing. Please take ALL possible DNA tests if you have interest in finding any blood relatives.

DNA Testing

In our experience, many Korean Adoptees have the unrealistic expectation that they will immediately find birth parents through DNA testing. They get sorely disappointed if this does not happen right away. Unfortunately, this is not how it works, since DNA testing in Korea is not as popular as it is in the West. 

DNA is a long game that can take years of time and patience. We know Korean Adoptees who have eventually found birth parents after YEARS of remaining on the major commercial DNA tests.

It is important to read our DNA Testing page to understand important nuances - such as the fact that the test FTDNA has been distributed for FREE for years to Korean Adoptees and Korean birth parents in Korea for over 10 years. It’s also important to understand that you should take ALL POSSIBLE DNA TESTS if you really want to find birth family.

We find that Korean Adoptees often only take ONE DNA test, IF they take any DNA tests at all. And they often start by taking a test which has a very small database, or has a database with few Koreans in it, and get disappointed far too easily. 

DNA testing gives Korean Adoptees the opportunity to find blood relatives, but is no guarantee of finding birth parents. Korean Adoptees have often found siblings, half-siblings, aunts, uncles, and other more distant relatives such as cousins. On rare occasions, Korean Adoptees find birth parents directly through DNA testing. We always give the advice that it is interesting for a Korean Adoptee who previously had no known blood relatives to find ANY blood relatives through DNA testing. Having an open mind will allow you to meet some very interesting people!

Some of your DNA matches may even one day help in your birth family search. Finding at least SOME blood relatives through DNA testing is a GUARANTEE for those who take DNA tests. The more Korean Adoptees who take DNA tests, the more of us will at least find each other. And the lucky ones will find more closely related relatives, up to parents, by finding a 2nd cousin match or closer and working carefully with their close cousin matches.

We strongly recommend NOT including in your online DNA profile that you are an Adoptee. We also recommend NOT mentioning that you are an Adoptee when you reach out to DNA matches, until you have formed a relationship of trust. Telling a person you are an Adoptee too soon can easily scare them away. 

We completely understand that privacy issues are real with DNA testing. Unfortunately for Korean Adoptees, there may be no other way to find blood relatives than by taking DNA tests.

Please read carefully below about the different kinds of DNA tests. In particular please note that the following tests are one-to-many commercial DNA tests: 

23 and Me

Ancestry

MyHeritage

FTDNA

23 and Me and Ancestry are the only two tests you have to BUY. You can transfer raw data for FREE from Ancestry to FTDNA and MyHeritage. 

If transferring raw data is too confusing for you, simply buy ALL of the major DNA tests. There are ALWAYS SALES on the major holidays!

The following test is a one-to-one test only:

The Korean Missing Person’s DNA Test

You can this test at  either at a:

1. Korean Police Station in Korea 
Currently requires an “Adoption Certificate” from NCRC. The “Adoption Certificate” is only good for 3 months.

2. Korean Consulate in your home country. 
Requires the “Adoption Certificate” from NCRC. The “Adoption Certificate” is only good for 3 months from the date of issue.

Please see:

ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — Via Email!

Please be sure to read more about DNA Testing below:

DNA Testing

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Why DNA testing is increasingly one of the few hopes for Korean Adoptees to find any blood relatives.

Many Adoptees spend years on birth family search before realizing that DNA testing is the only guaranteed way of finding blood relatives.

Korean Adoptees who have serious interest in birth family search should take ALL possible DNA tests.

This is because all of the major DNA test databases are siloed (separated). If your blood relatives takes, for example, ONLY 23 and Me, and you take ONLY MyHeritage, you will NOT match — UNLESS BOTH of you upload your raw data to GEDMatch.

Therefore it is so important to take ALL possible DNA tests, to give yourself the best chance of finding close blood relatives!

Pro-tip: Do NOT identify yourself as an Adoptee in your DNA test profiles. Also, do NOT identify yourself immediately as an Adoptee when reaching out to DNA matches — this almost always scares people away. Try to establish a connection first, before revealing cautiously that you are an Adoptee.

The most common DNA tests to take are:

-FTDNA (Family Tree DNA)

This is the test which has been distributed for free to both Korean Adoptees and Korean birth parents in Korea by the Korean Adoptee organization 325Kamra).

-23 and Me

You are likely to get the MOST matches on this test if you are 100% Korean. Of all the widely available commercial DNA tests, 23 and Me seems to have the most Korean DNA in its database. Hapa (mixed race) Adoptees are likely to have a high number of relative matches on almost ANY DNA test — this is because more White and Black persons take DNA tests than native Koreans. 23 and Me seems to have the best breakdowns in terms of ethnic background than the other DNA tests, since the other DNA tests have fewer Koreans in their databases.

-Ancestry

Another major test. This test is important to take since you can transfer raw data for free from this test to other DNA tests.

-MyHeritage

This test is heavily marketed in Europe. Many European Korean Adoptees tend to ONLY take this test. However, it is important to take ALL possible DNA tests, since the DNA test databases are siloed (separated).

-The KNPA (Korean National Police Academy) DNA Test

You can take this test at a Korean police station in Korea, or at a Korean Consulate / Embassy in your Western home country. This will require that you request and obtain an “Adoption Certificate” from NCRC.

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Please click below to view the related link/s:

DNA Testing

Please take ALL possible DNA tests if you have interest in finding any blood relatives.

Adoption Certificate

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Why DNA testing is increasingly one of the few hopes for Korean Adoptees to find any blood relatives.

DNA Testing

In order to find ANY blood relatives in this lifetime, one of Korean Adoptees’ few options is to take ALL possible DNA tests. DNA tests come with inherent privacy risks, which we won’t mute, unlike other DNA proponents. These are weird times in the world, and no one’s privacy can ever be guaranteed. That being said, the only way to guarantee that you can find any blood relatives is through DNA testing.

Korean Adoptees will have to manage their expectations with respect to DNA testing. Most Koreans in Korea do not take DNA tests. However, Korean Adoptees have for years been able to connect with blood relatives through DNA tests such as 23 and Me, Ancestry, My Heritage, and FTDNA. There is additionally the KNPA (Korean Police DNA test) which Korean Adoptees can take at a Korean police station, or through a nearby Korean Consulate / Embassy in their home country. We recommend taking ALL possible DNA tests, if you are comfortable with that.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Please be sure to read our current WARNINGS about FOIA requests:

FOIA Request For US Adoptees

Please be sure to read our current WARNINGS about FOIA requests:

FOIA Request For US Adoptees

No. FOIA requests are for those in the US only. Other countries may have their own types of government information request, but the information on our page is specifically about US FOIA requests.

Please be sure to read our current WARNINGS about FOIA requests:

FOIA Request For US Adoptees

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Why I offer private consultations for Korean Adoptees through Paperslip.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world. There are also always conferences going on for Korean Adoptees every year.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

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Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

Please note that as of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

For more information about NCRC, please see the FAQ section on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page titled:

“FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).”

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Historically, the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies designated by the Korean Government in 1976 to handle all Overseas Adoption are below. Adoptees from each Korean Adoption Agency have formed their own Facebook groups:

HOLT Korea (not to be confused with Holt International, which is the Western Holt Adoption Agency). Holt was the LARGEST Korean Adoption Agency.

Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) - formerly Eastern Child Welfare Society (ECWS).

Korea Welfare Society (KWS) / formerly Social Welfare Society (SWS) Forum / formerly CPS (Child Placement Services). Please note that if you were adopted through ISS (International Social Services), KWS may have taken possession of your files.

In some early 1960s cases, ISS and KSS partnered, and KSS may have had possession of your files.

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PRIVATE ADOPTIONS:

Please note that there were many Korean Adoptees — particulary prior to 1976 when the Korean Government designated the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to handle all overseas adoptions — who were NOT adopted through any Korean or Western Adoption Agency, and who had a private adoption.

For such Adoptees, instead of joining groups for individual Korean Adoption Agencies, we suggest joining larger more general Korean Adoptee Facebook groups.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world. There are also always conferences going on for Korean Adoptees every year.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

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Contact Info For The 4 Major Korean Adoption Agencies + Adoptee Facebook Groups.

Please note that as of July 19th, 2025, ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

For more information about NCRC, please see the FAQ section on this FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION page titled:

“FAQ — Birth Family Search Through NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child).”

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Historically, the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies designated by the Korean Government in 1976 to handle all Overseas Adoption are below. Adoptees from each Korean Adoption Agency have formed their own Facebook groups:

HOLT Korea (not to be confused with Holt International, which is the Western Holt Adoption Agency). Holt was the LARGEST Korean Adoption Agency.

Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) - formerly Eastern Child Welfare Society (ECWS).

Korea Welfare Society (KWS) / formerly Social Welfare Society (SWS) Forum / formerly CPS (Child Placement Services). Please note that if you were adopted through ISS (International Social Services), KWS may have taken possession of your files.

In some early 1960s cases, ISS and KSS partnered, and KSS may have had possession of your files.

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PRIVATE ADOPTIONS:

Please note that there were many Korean Adoptees — particulary prior to 1976 when the Korean Government designated the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to handle all overseas adoptions — who were NOT adopted through any Korean or Western Adoption Agency, and who had a private adoption.

For such Adoptees, instead of joining groups for individual Korean Adoption Agencies, we suggest joining larger more general Korean Adoptee Facebook groups.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

For Korean Adoptees who have never been back to Korea since the time of their adoption, a Korean Adoptee Tour — commonly known as a Homeland Tour — is a great way to visit Korea for the first time.

Korean Adoptee tours are typically group tours. Some tours are only for Korean Adoptees, and others allow Adoptees’ family members to accompany them.

Please carefully read and follow the guideline of each Korean Adoptee Tour.

We have listed some well known Korean Adoptee tours here:

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Travel Tips For First Time Korean Adoptee Visitors To Korea.

Pro-Active Birth Family Search Tips for KSS (Korea Social Service) and ALL Korean Adoptees.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the birth family search process. However, you are not alone in your journey. There are literally thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world, many of whom are very willing to be helpful. If someone helps you, we highly recommend that you pay it forward by helping someone else. This is the way in which the global Korean Adoptee community has operated for decades.

We recommend that you join Korean Adoptee (KAD) Facebook groups, and if possible, join a local Korean Adoptee group. Korean Adoptees love to get together to eat Korean food and kvetch. There are active Korean Adoptee in most major cities in the US and around the Western world.

You are also welcome to reach out to us to do a paid private Zoom consultation. These one hour consultations are extremely helpful for Korean Adoptees who are new to the process, and who would like one-on-one advice regarding birth family search. These inexpensive sessions can help navigate you through the birth family search process. We do not charge additional fees if you decide to have a loved one join you in your Zoom session.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN.

NEW! Advisory Sessions - For Both KSS and Non-KSS Adoptees

TRC 3 = Third Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea.

TRC 3 (which began February 26th, 2026 and will likely run through around 2030) follows closely on the heels of TRC 2 (December 20th, 2020 — November 2025).

TRC 3 will accept applications between February 26th, 2026 - February 25th, 2028.

If you are a Korean Adoptee who wishes to submit your case INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3, please see:

Paperslip links related to submitting your case INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3.

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TRC Background:

From Wikipedia:
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Korea)

“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Korean: 진실·화해를위한과거사정리위원회), established on December 1, 2005, is a South Korean governmental body responsible for investigating incidents in Korean history which occurred from Japan's rule of Korea in 1910 through the end of authoritarian rule in South Korea with the election of President Kim Young-sam in 1993.

The body has investigated numerous atrocities committed by various government agencies during Japan's occupation of Korea, the Korean War, and the authoritarian governments that ruled afterwards. The commission estimates that tens of thousands of people were executed in the summer of 1950.[1][2] The victims include political prisoners, civilians who were killed by US forces, and civilians who allegedly collaborated with communist North Korea or local communist groups. Each incident investigated is based on a citizen's petition, with some incidents having hundreds of petitions. The commission, staffed by 240 people with an annual budget of $19 million, was expected to release a final report on their findings in 2010.[3]

Objective

Operating under the Framework Act on Clearing up Past Incidents for Truth and Reconciliation,[4] the purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRCK) is to investigate and reveal the truth behind violence, massacres, and human rights abuses that occurred throughout the course of Japan's rule of Korea and Korea's authoritarian regimes.”

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For more information about TRC 3 on Paperslip, please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s header, titled:

DROPDOWN: TRC 3—Third Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea (2026-2030)

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Please click below to view the related link/s: 

How I prepared my INDEPENDENT TRC 3 submission in 4 million not so easy steps over 8.5 years of time.

For more information about TRC 2 on Paperslip, please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s header, titled:

TRC 2: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea (2022-2025)

Please note that the goal of TRC 3 in relation to Korean Adoptees is NOT explicitly to find their birth families.

The goal of TRC 3 is to determine the Korean Government’s responsibility in past human rights abuses.

TRC 3 is investigating cases not only related to Korean Adoptees, but also to historical victim groups in Korea.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Should I submit requests for my Korean adoption documents and /or a birth family search through NCRC, or should I file a case with TRC 3 instead?

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Who are the Commissioner and Members for The Third Subcommittee for TRC 3? 

The Hankyoreh: “A Truth Commission Member Who Calls Himself a ‘Centrist’ on Overseas Adoption and the Insurrection.”

Paperslip.org takes a highly critical and cautionary stance against the DKRG (Danish Korean Rights Group), specifically warning Korean Adoptees against using the group to file cases with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

The platform’s position is based on several core ethical and procedural grievances:

1. Misrepresentation of Legal Credentials

Paperslip explicitly warns that DKRG leadership — specifically Peter Møller — is NOT a licensed lawyer or attorney in Denmark or South Korea. He has falsely claimed to be a “lawyer” or “attorney” in international press since 2022. The site criticizes DKRG and aligned groups for soliciting highly sensitive, private adoption documents and Powers of Attorney (POA) from vulnerable Adoptees without openly disclosing this lack of formal legal credentials.

2. Lack of Communication and "Ghosting"

A major warning highlighted on the platform centers on operational misconduct. Paperslip notes that a large number of Danish and U.S. Adoptees who entrusted DKRG with their TRC 2 or TRC 3 cases and signed over Power of Attorney have reported being completely blocked or ghosted by the group's leadership — namely Peter Møller and his wife Boonyoung Han — after handing over their records. This has gone on from DKRG’s founding in 2022 to present (2026). 

3. Plagiarism and Theft of Research Credit

Paperslip’s position is also deeply personal, rooted in an incident on January 1st, 2023 where DKRG attempted to take false credit for years of original research conducted by Paperslip regarding KSS (Korea Social Service) "K-Number" research. The site notes that after Paperslip’s original research was stolen and repackaged with false attribution given to a non-Adoptee DoKAD (descendant / child of Korean Adoptees), DKRG leadership cut ties without any prior disagreement, and actively spread false rumors about the platform's founder. It took over one year for the DoKAD to finally admit he had nothing to do with Paperslip’s original research.

4. Over-Centralization of the TRC Process

Paperslip criticizes DKRG for trying to position itself as the "sole mouthpiece" for the Truth and Reconciliation movement. The group emphasizes that DKRG frequently fails to inform Adoptees that they can submit TRC 3 cases independently without an intermediary. To counter this, Paperslip actively publishes independent step-by-step guides helping Adoptees file their own TRC forms directly, ensuring they retain complete control over their sensitive private data.

Please see related:

Good Trouble: Paperslip warned Korean Adoptees about DKRG for years. Now U.S. Adoptees are starting to see why.

Paperslip links related to submitting your case INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

We cannot advise you in the context of a paid consultation about TRC 3.

However, we offer plenty of FREE guidance on how to submit your case INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3 here:

Paperslip links related to submitting your case INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3.

We are not going to lie, submitting your case to TRC 3 is a big undertaking. But you have 2 years to submit your case. You can submit your case to TRC 3 between:

February 26th, 2026 — February 25th, 2028.

The TRC 3 investigation will likely continue into 2029 or 2030.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Questions About The F-4 Visa Process.

Please click below to view the related link/s: 

Korean Citizenship + F4 Visa.