Hankook Ilbo Article:
“Government Promised Accountability…But Only Three Adoption Record Disclosures in a Month”

Posted to Paperslip on November 3rd, 2025.
Originally published in Korea in the Hankook Ilbo on October 28th, 2025.
Translation via ChatGPT.
Thanks to a Paperslip Contributor for the link.

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Paperslip Note:

We want to note that while we could not predict exactly what would happen once the files from ALL former Korean Adoption Agencies were transferred to the Korean Government Public Institution NCRC, we knew that staff shortages and NCRC’s overall history of incompetence would mean that there would be a massive bottleneck for Adoptees with an interest in conducting a birth family search through NCRC. We did not want to be right, but we were right, and the 15 months we ALONE spent warning everyone about the file transfer to NCRC is unfortunately completely justified.

See Related:
Paperslip Concludes A 15 Month Campaign To Warn KSS Adoptees About The File Transfer To NCRC

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‘“Government Promised Accountability…But Only Three Adoption Record Disclosures in a Month”

By Won Dara | Input: Oct. 28, 2025, 18:58 | Revised: Nov. 2, 2025, 18:22

424 requests received since Sept. 16 -
Slow processing blamed on “staff cuts”
Rep. Kim Sun-min: “A textbook example of rushed administration”

Although the NCRC, under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, launched a new adoption record disclosure service for adoptees on September 19, data shows that only three cases have been completed in the past month.

According to materials obtained on October 28 by Rep. Kim Sun-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who serves on the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, there were 424 requests for adoption record disclosure between September 16 and October 19. However, only three cases have been fully processed and released.

Among the remaining cases, 213 are still being reviewed, 147 are stuck in the “pre-screening” stage awaiting document checks, and 61 were rejected due to missing or incomplete paperwork.

The delay stems from a reduction in staff before the launch of the disclosure service. According to Rep. Kim, the number of employees handling adoption record requests fell from 20 (6 at NCRC, 14 at adoption agencies) to 7 (at NCRC only) after the new public adoption system was introduced. At the same time, the legal processing period for disclosure requests was extended from 45 days to 75 days under amendments to the Special Adoption Act.

The NCRC explained, “With fewer staff, we must simultaneously handle application reviews, document scanning, and in-person consultations, making delays inevitable,” adding, “Our request for additional personnel in 2026 was rejected, so we plan to pursue an expansion in 2027.”

Rep. Kim criticized the situation, saying, “It’s absurd that a system the government spent two years preparing now takes up to 37 days just to process an application — this is a textbook example of hasty implementation.” She added, “Extending the disclosure period without adding staff is nothing but shirking responsibility.”

She urged the government to:

  • Increase staffing for disclosure processing,

  • Establish a police cooperation system to contact birth parents more promptly about reunification consent, and

  • Create a record review committee involving both adoptees and experts.

Reporter: Won Dara (dara@hankookilbo.com)”