How Does NCRC Conduct A Birth Family Search?

Since the process of birth family search is not transparent to Adoptees, we thought we would try to shed as much light on this topic as is possible. Please bear in mind that NCRC’s process is not transparent to us, either, but what we know is based on what NCRC, other Adoptees and a Paperslip Contributor has told us about the process.

If you do not know what NCRC is or have never heard of the file transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC, please see:

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

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One important thing to know is that Adoptees are by law allowed to request ONE birth family search per year.

Another important thing to understand is that a “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” is a request for an adoption file — NOT for a birth family search. Please be sure to complete the online forms on the KAS site carefully to be sure that you request BOTH a birth family search AND your adoption documents (if desired).

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Our understanding of the birth family search process by NCRC is the following:

  • Once an Adoptee submits their “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” to NCRC via the KAS website, presumably NCRC will attempt to locate an Adoptee’s file from their former Korean Adoption Agency’s records, which are now stored at NCRC’s temporary storage location in Gyeonggi-do (about one hour north of NCRC’s main office in Seoul).

  • Please Note: NCRC began to take over ALL Korean Adoption Agency records starting July 19th, 2025. From July 19th, 2025 — May 30th, 2030, ALL of these former Korean Adoption Agency records will be stored at a temporary storage facility one hour north of Seoul in Gyeonggi-do.

  • After NCRC locates the Adoptee’s file, IF there is any birth parent information — such as the (two word) first name and last name (such as Jin Hee LEE — where “Jin Hee” is the two word first name, and LEE is the last name / surname — Koreans don’t technically have middle names) — AND a birth date or birth year, then NCRC will proceed to try to locate the last known address of the birth parent/s using local Jumin Centers (Local Government Offices) and their own internal government database, which has the amusing acronym PISS: Public Information Sharing System.

    • One very important but tricky concept to understand is that of what some Adoptees call “the shadow file” or “the double archive”. Adoptees use these terms colloquially to refer to the fact that Korean Adoption Agencies often kept a lot more information at their offices or storage rooms in Korea than they ever shared with Adoptees or their adoptive parents.

    • For example, for KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, adoptive parents were almost always provided with the KSS specific document called the English Adoptive Child Study Summary. While not always falsified, this document especially prior to the mid 1980s often said that a child was “abandoned” and found with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in her / his “clothings” (sic). Yet secretly, KSS kept a document for each Adoptee called the Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, which sometimes — though not always — contained birth parent or other information about a child’s origins (such as the name of their maternity clinic or hospital) which was NOT contained in the English Adoptive Child Study Summary.

    • While the other major Korean Adoption Agencies did not have documents with the exact title of “Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary”, all of the major Korean Adoption Agencies likely had their own form of “shadow file” for Adoptees.

    • This so effectively gaslights Adoptees for decades, since many Adoptees believe that there is NO background information in their adoption documents.

    • Unfortunately Adoptees must undertake a birth family search in the hope that their “shadow file” — formerly housed by the Korean Adoption Agencies, and after July 19th, 2025, housed at NCRC’s temporary storage facility in Gyegonggi-do — contains actionable birth parent information which NCRC can use in a search.

    • It is very difficult because due to the massive transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agency files to NCRC starting July 19th, 2025, there is going to be chaos for years to come. Therefore, we encourage Adoptees to make more than one attempt at a birth family search through NCRC, if possible. Adoptees are allowed to request one birth family search per year from NCRC through the KAS website.

  • IF the birth parent/s last known address is located, NCRC will proceed to attempt to send 3 registered letters. These letters are often a bit vague — this is because often Korean birth parents have remarried, and any child had prior to the marriage is often a secret from the new spouse. IF the birth parent/s respond and CONSENT to be put into touch with the Adoptee, then NCRC will refer the case (starting July 19th, 2025) to the NGO (Non Governmental Organization) NEST.

  • NCRC has recently said in an August 7th, 2025 Information Session (via Zoom) that they are pushing to use the PHONE NUMBERS of birth parent/s in the future, in addition to / or instead of registered letters. However, we will believe this when we see it actually happen.

    • Registered letters are problematic because there are so many ways for a letter NOT to reach an intended recipient:

      • The address could have changed

      • The person may simply not be at home during the attempted deliveries of the registered letters

      • The letters may be opened by the wrong recipient, causing strife within the family if a prior child is a secret

      • The mail may be mistaken as spam.

      • Etc.

  • Please Note: IF the first birth family search attempt (constituting the sending of 3 registered letters to the last known address of the birth parent/s) is NOT successful, by law an Adoptee should be able to submit a “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” to NCRC ONCE PER YEAR.

    • Adoptees are often understandably discouraged if the first birth family search attempt (constituting the sending of 3 registered letters to the last known address of the birth parent/s) fails. This frankly often happens for many of the reasons listed above. However, another common reason this 3 letter method so often fails is because a birth parent is too ashamed to come forward when initially contacted by NCRC. Therefore it is important for Adoptees to understand that it’s not always because a birth parent is rejecting the Adoptee that they are not responding — it’s often because they are ashamed of the past, or because they are remarried and the Adoptee is a secret. So it’s very hard, but it’s important for an Adoptee to be persistent if they want to have a reunion. It can often take years of time for a birth parent to come forward, even assuming they are the right person. We cannot more strongly recommend that any Adoptee put into reunion with birth family by NCRC and / or NEST take a DNA test to confirm their relationship.