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.
There are many changes happening in the world of Korean Adoptees in 2025. Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about these changes.
DISCLAIMER:
Paperslip.org is run entirely by Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptee volunteers. We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent, any Korean or Western Adoption Agencies, or any government bodies such as the NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) or KAS (Korea Adoption Services).
The information we share has largely been gathered and verified through our own efforts, due to the lack of clear guidance from both Adoption Agencies and Korean Government institutions. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful resources for Adoptees, we ask for your understanding that we operate independently, and do not speak on behalf of any official organizations involved in adoption or birth family search.
It is up to YOU to independently verify any important information related to your birth family search process, and to act responsibly according to your own best interests. We take NO RESPONSIBILITY for the accuracy of the information presented here which may change over time, or about which we may not be aware and have thus omitted. If you spot anything which you think we should update, please let us know via email. Our knowledge is only as strong as the information which is shared with us by the community.
Thank you!
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Note—For More Info About The Transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files To The Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) Beginning July 19th, 2025, Please See The DROPDOWN MENU on Our Homepage:
”Starting July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS”
KSS Adoptees Please See:
ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here:
General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview
Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC
NEW! Step By Step KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee Birth Family Search
Now More Than Ever, Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information!
NEW! IMPORTANT Related Page (as of June 15th, 2025):
June 2025 — NCRC Visit For Questions About The Upcoming File Transfer
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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.
Posted: June 15th, 2025.
With subsequent updates.
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UPDATE — July 9th, 2025:
Please see this video from NCRC:
NCRC Video: Notice on the Reform of the Adoption information Disclosure Petition System.
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Question:
Why are ALL Korean Adoption Agency files moving 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 will enter 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 will begin to take over ALL Korean Adoption Agency files beginning on July 19th, 2025. NCRC will transfer a total of around 260,000 Korean Adoption Agency files 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.”
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Question:
Where will NCRC store all of the Korean Adoption Agency files which they will take over beginning on July 19th, 2025?
Answer:
Please see:
Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC
“NCRC Secures Adoption Records Preservation Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province”
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Question:
Will the transfer of all Korean Adoption Agency files to NCRC be a smooth process?
Answer:
We wish. Unfortunately, we really don’t think so. We would love to be wrong. We are very concerned that Korean Adoption Agency files will be lost or mixed up in the transfer process. Plus, these files are likely to be moved at least TWICE—since the transfer happening beginning July 19th, 2025 is only to a TEMPORARY storage facility, not a PERMANENT one.
Please see:
Now More Than Ever, Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information
Why Adoptees Will Likely Be Stuck With NCRC’s Woefully Inadequate Temporary Storage Facility For ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files In Gyeonggi-do
“Korean Adoption System Misidentifies Birth Parents, 15 Years Of Errors Go Unchecked”
New MBC Video Highlights The Failures of NCRC. KSS Adoptees Should Act NOW
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Question:
Why are ALL Korean Adoption Agency files being moved to a TEMPORARY storage facility managed by NCRC, and NOT to a PERMANENT one
Answer:
This is because NCRC likely willfully failed to request the land for a permanent storage facility they proposed from the Gimpo city government.
The Korean Government has so far declined to provide a budget to build a PERMANENT storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency records which NCRC is taking over starting on July 19th, 2025. This is unfortunately not surprising given the Korean Government’s YEARS LONG history of what we consider to be the deliberate underfunding of NCRC’s birth family search division.
Please see:
“The (Korean) Ministry of Health and Welfare's request for a 4.8 billion won budget for an 'Adoption Records Center' has been rejected by the Ministry of Finance.”
Construction of a New "Adoption Records Center" in Gimpo By 2029
Please note — this is the amazing proposed plan for a permanent storage facility that NCRC and the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) likely willfully squashed.
Why Adoptees Will Likely Be Stuck With NCRC’s Woefully Inadequate Temporary Storage Facility For ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files In Gyeonggi-do
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Question:
Will the adoption files of my WESTERN (US, European, Canadian, Australian) Adoption Agency also be moved to NCRC?
Answer:
NO. The adoption files of your WESTERN (US, European, Canadian, Australian) Adoption Agency should remain in their possession.
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Question:
Will I be able to conduct a birth family search through my Korean Adoption Agency AFTER July 19th, 2025?
Answer:
NO. ALL Korean Adoptees will have to submit birth family search requests through NCRC via the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website. KAS is the predecessor to NCRC and they are both Korean Government Agencies.
The Post Adoption Services of the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies will likely PERMANENTLY CLOSE after July 19th, 2025.
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Question:
How do I request a birth family search AFTER July 19th, 2025?
Answer:
ALL future birth family search requests AFTER July 19th, 2025 will have to be submitted through NCRC via the KAS website.
Please see:
NEW! Step By Step KSS Adoptee Birth Family Search
Regarding The Future Of Birth Family Search Through NCRC and KAS
Birth Family Search Requests Will Have To Be Submitted Through The KAS Website After July 19th, 2025
Please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s home page titled:
”Starting July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS”
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Question:
If I have a birth family search in progress through my relevant Korean Adoption Agency that is incomplete by July 19th, 2025, will my case automatically roll over to NCRC / KAS?
Answer:
YES — please see this NEW related link (NEW as of June 15th, 2025):
June 2025 — NCRC Visit For Questions About The Upcoming File Transfer
Please NOTE: NCRC / KAS have advised that they will not accept new requests until after September 15th, 2025, to allow them time to deal with the file transfer.
However, not even NCRC knows how long the file transfer may take to completely sort out. NCRC’s President has previously said that the file transfer may take 10 years to completely sort out.
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Question:
Who handles ADOPTION CERTIFICATES after July 19th, 2025? (Previously Korean Adoption Agencies handled some types of Adoption Certificates).
Answer:
NCRC will handle requests for all Adoption Certificates after July 19th, 2025.
Please see:
ADOPTION CERTIFICATES - NCRC Will Accept Applications From July 19th, 2025 — Via Email!
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Question:
My adoption records state that I was at an orphanage PRIOR to being transferred to a Korean Adoption Agency. Will NCRC also be taking over the orphanage records?
Answer:
We are not sure which orphanage records—what we call “feeder orphanage” records—have been transferred to NCRC and which have not.
Please note that as Paperslip.org is primarily by and for KSS Adoptees, that we have not collected (nor do we plan to collect) the information about the feeder orphanages of the OTHER major Korean Adoption Agencies. So IF you were at an orphanage PRIOR to your transfer to a major Korean Adoption Agency, you will need to contact that orphanage yourself to find out whether or not they still have possession of their files.
For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, as of this writing on May 5th, 2025, we believe that the major KSS feeder orphanages are still in possession of their files. We frankly do not know exactly what will happen with these “feeder orphanage” files in the future, but for now we would NOT assume that NCRC has them in their possession at their temporary storage facility. We would assume (until told otherwise) that the major KSS “feeder orphanages” still have their files in their possession at their original locations.
Please see:
Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List
Please see:
“Budget Shortfall Raises Concerns That ‘Adoption Information Disclosure’ Will Be Left Incomplete”
It should be noted that NCRC royally screwed up on “preserving” / digitizing many orphanage files over the past 10 years. However, we are not aware of WHICH orphanages’ files were “preserved” by NCRC.
Please see:
MBC Video Highlights The Failures of NCRC In Preserving Orphanage Records
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Question:
I heard that NCRC moved its offices to a new location in Seoul in early 2025. Where are NCRC’s new offices located?
Answer:
Please see:
IMPORTANT! New Changes Coming To NCRC in 2025 - Including NEW Address!
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Question:
Is NCRC’s new office building in Seoul located close to NCRC’s new temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files?
Answer:
NO. Unfortunately, NCRC’s new office in Seoul is located about an hour away from its temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files, which is situated in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do—approximately one hour north of the new office. This is highly inconvenient for Adoptees. We are not sure how this will all work in terms of birth family search requests made through NCRC / KAS.
Please note that, in addition to its new main office in Seoul, NCRC will reportedly also maintain office space at the new temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files, located in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
Please see:
“NCRC Secures Adoption Records Preservation Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province”
IMPORTANT! New Changes Coming To NCRC in 2025 - Including NEW Address!
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Question:
How often can I submit a birth family search to NCRC / KAS?
Answer:
You can make a NEW birth family search ONCE PER YEAR through the KAS website. Please note that you must wait ONE FULL YEAR from the date of the last correspondence from NCRC / KAS regarding your previous birth family search request. Each birth family search request entails sending 3 registered letters to the last known address of any known birth parents.
KSS Adoptees Please See:
Demystifying The KSS Birth Family Search Process
Please note that the page above can be used by non-KSS Adoptees as well to understand the once per year 3 letter process employed by NCRC to conduct a birth family search.
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Question:
What other avenues for birth family search can I explore apart from submitting a once-per-year birth family search request through NCRC via the KAS website?
Answer:
We think that birth family search after July 19th, 2025 may boil down to DNA testing, FOIA (for US Adoptees ONLY—and FOIA is under threat, so hurry), and gumshoe investigation on the ground in Korea based on any information which a Korean Adoptee may already have in their possession.
Please see:
DNA Testing
FOIA (For US Adoptees ONLY)
The Current State of Birth Family Search
Now More Than Ever, Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information
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Question:
Should I still go to Korea, even if I don’t believe that I have any hopes of finding birth family?
Answer:
YES. We strongly believe that it is so important for Korean Adoptees to visit Korea at least once in their lifetimes as an adult—if possible. Even if you are not able to find birth family (which frankly, the vast majority of us will not)—you can at least find YOURSELF.
There are many Korean Adoptee group tours you can participate in. We highly recommend that you do some online research (we will update our Resources page soon) and join online Korean Adoptee Facebook groups, such as “Korean Adoptees”.
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Question:
Whom can I ask if I have specific questions about birth family search?
Answer:
Please note that while Paperslip does not conduct on-the-ground birth family searches in Korea, we can guide Adoptees through the fundamentals of the search process and help demystify the various approaches involved. We can also refer you to trusted on-the-ground resources in Korea. Please see:
NEW! Advisory Sessions - Free for KSS Adoptees | Paid for Non-KSS Adoptees
KSS Adoptees can reach out to us at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com for FREE initial birth family search assistance. KSS Adoptees are also highly encouraged to join the Facebook forum for KSS Adoptees ONLY called KSS Cribmates. Please be sure to answer the membership questions.
Non-KSS Adoptees can reach out to us directly at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com — however, please note that any questions by non-KSS Adoptees will have to be handled in the context of a PAID Zoom session.