IMPORTANT DATES.

This page lists important dates relevant to birth family search for Korean Adoptees AFTER July 19th, 2025.

Please note: Due to two major transfers involving ALL Korean Adoption Agency records, the birth family search process for Korean Adoptees via the paper trail is currently at high risk for disruption.

  1. First transfer – From the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC (beginning July 19th, 2025).

  2. Second transfer – From NCRC’s temporary storage facility to a (hopefully) permanent archive (anticipated sometime around May 30th, 2030. NCRC’s current lease on it’s temporary storage facility ends May 30th, 2030 according to this article).

These transitions present a significant risk of loss, misplacement, or damage to sensitive paper adoption files, which may negatively impact future paper-based birth family searches. We highly encourage you to be aware of these dates as you proceed through the process of birth family search through NCRC.

IF YOU WAIT until even early 2030 to make your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search request) to NCRC, you will likely be TOO LATE to receive a response from NCRC prior to the SECOND transfer of ALL (former) Korean Adoption Agency files sometime around May 30th, 2030. We predict that NCRC will likely shut down without much notice several months BEFORE their current 5 year lease ends for the temporary storage facility on May 30th, 2030, in order to prepare for the 2nd file transfer. They could even shut down at the end of 2029 — who knows. Those who WAIT to submit a request to NCRC AFTER the SECOND file transfer stand an EVEN GREATER RISK that their files will be mixed up, lost or destroyed. So make your request/s to NCRC WELL BEFORE 2030!

Because mixed up files could potentially result in Adoptees being put into FALSE REUNION with the WRONG birth parents, we cannot more strongly urge any Adoptees who are put into reunion with birth parents to confirm the relationship through DNA testing.

The quote below from this article makes clear the likely coming issues:

”The temporary archive lease runs until 2030. The NCRC aims to construct a permanent adoption archive by 2031, but this is far from guaranteed. Although a feasibility study was completed in 2023 to secure a construction site, budget shortfalls forced them to start over. The NCRC plans to conduct a new feasibility study next year to find a new location. Since building a permanent facility will take at least four years, any delays in funding or approval could derail the timeline.”

To see how NCRC and the Korean Government are playing this game together to cause delays and run the clock out on Adoptees, please see:

Another ₩200 Million Research Study by NCRC For The Same Content As A Previous ₩100 Million Study…

Please read more below.

Please be aware of the important dates below.

*Please be sure to read below about why we STRONGLY urge you to submit a “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search request) to NCRC WELL BEFORE 2030.

In fact, given that NCRC’s 5 year lease on its current temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files (the lease was signed around April 2025) ends May 30th, 2030 according to this article), we strongly advise you to submit your request/s to NCRC BY 2028 or at the latest, BY EARLY 2029.

Remember, there is going to be a LONG line of Korean Adoptees who are also submitting a “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) requests to NCRC via the KAS website before you — and, in true draconian fashion, NCRC has only a handful of birth family search workers (around 4 or 5, who are not social workers — they are just a rotating cast of government employees, who change positions every few years, meaning there is little continuity) to handle the thousands of requests that NCRC will receive from Korean Adoptees ALL over the WORLD.

Also, please bear in mind that NCRC will likely STOP processing new requests a few MONTHS AHEAD of any SECOND file transfer to a new (hopefully permanent) storage facility, likely in early 2030. So please DO NOT WAIT until the last minute in 2030 to submit your request, or you will run out of time!

However, it’s our belief that it’s likely a BAD idea to submit your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” to NCRC right away on September 16th, 2025 when they first re-open for requests — since NCRC’s pathetically few workers will be deluged with requests, and since they will not yet have the file transfer under control. Unfortunately, NCRC may never have the file transfer under control.

Welcome to The Hunger Games.

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Please Note:
The last time we made a prediction about the NCRC file transfer 15 months in advance — based on our prior experience and basic logic — we turned out to be right.

Please note that there are a handful of Korean Adoptee Facebook groups and organizations which do not tolerate posts related to anything meaningful as regards birth family search, or which gatekeep posts which are not relentlessly inane or positive — so you should regularly check our PUBLIC Facebook page if you don’t want to be left behind.

Previously we spent 15 months warning the entire Korean Adoptee community about the July 19th, 2025 file transfer, but were the ONLY organization — run by Adoptees or otherwise — to consistently do so:

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

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IMPORTANT DATES:


Around late April, 2025:

The Korean Government Agency NCRC secured the temporary storage space in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do (around 1 hour north of NCRC’s main office in Seoul) for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files it began to take over starting July 19th, 2025. NCRC signed a 5 year contract, and this contract is known to end on May 30th, 2030.

Please see:

Segye Ilbo / Naver Article: “NCRC Secures Adoption Records Preservation Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province”

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

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June 16th - September 15th, 2025:
During this time, NCRC will not accept new “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search requests) through the KAS website.

Please see:

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

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September 16th, 2025:
Starting on September 16th, 2025, NCRC will begin to accept new “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) requests through the KAS website.

Please Note:

Unsurprisingly, it does NOT look like NCRC will be ready to process new birth family search requests starting September 16th, 2025. Even if you're technically able to submit a request at that time, we strongly recommend waiting until we receive clear confirmation that NCRC actually has the KSS files — and as of now, there’s no timeline for when that will happen.

Since you’re only allowed to submit ONE “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search request) per year to NCRC via the KAS website, you don’t want to risk wasting it on a submission that’s likely to go nowhere due to lack of file organization!

Frankly, there's little way for us to know WHEN their files will be well organized. We will do our best to let you know when we know anything. However, you might aim for MID 2026 to submit your FIRST request to NCRC via the KAS website.

Please see:

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

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July 19th, 2025:
The date that ALL Korean Adoption Agency files begin to move to the Korean Government Agency NCRC.

*Please do not unrealistically expect that NCRC is going to transfer and sort 260,000 adoption files overnight. This process is going to take them YEARS to figure out completely.

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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July 19th, 2025:
The date that NCRC commences a new partnership with the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) NEST Korea.

Please see:

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

ALL 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

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July 19th, 2025 — sometime in December 2025:
The duration during which Adoptees can request “Adoption Certificates” from NCRC via email.

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

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October 2025:
Sometime in October 2025, Adoptees will be allowed to begin to visit NCRC’s temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency record in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.

Please monitor Paperslip’s PUBLIC Facebook page for updates on when NCRC will provide information about how Adoptees can schedule an appointment to visit the temporary storage facility.

Because the temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency record in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do is NOT ADA compliant / accessible for individuals with disabilities, NCRC has said that those with disabilities can request a file review at NCRC’s main office in Seoul.

Please see:

Newspim Article:“[Interview] Controversy Over Adoption Records Stored in Coupang Freezer Warehouse…NCRC Says ‘Freezer Function Not Used’”

ALL 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

Records At NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility In Goyang, Gyeonggi-do To Be Publicly Accessible Starting October 2025

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December 2025:
Sometime in December 2025, NCRC will begin to accept requests for “Adoption Certificates” through the KAS website only.

Please see:

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

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2026 and 2027:
”The NCRC plans to complete the transfer and organization of over 260,000 records this year (2025) and expand to include records from at least 70 child welfare facilities in 2026. Starting in 2027, records from local governments and other facilities will be moved in phases.”

Please see:

Segye Ilbo Article: ”All Adoption Records in One Place…’Security & Safety Equipment in Place’ [In-Depth Report]”

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May 30th, 2030:
Since NCRC only signed a 5 year lease for its temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency records in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do — from April 2025 through May 30th, 2030 — this means that NCRC will have to move ALL Korean Adoption Agency records A SECOND TIME to a (hopefully) permanent storage building, sometime in 2030. However, this ASSUMES that NCRC can locate / find funding for a new (hopefully permanent) location — an assumption which cannot be taken for granted! If there are budget related delays (which there almost always are when it comes to NCRC and MOHW) these adoption files could end up in some kind of weird limbo — this is a strong possibility you should factor in when determining WHEN to submit your request/s to NCRC!

ALERT!

Because NCRC already FAILED to secure a location for a permanent storage facility in 2024, we strongly suspect that NCRC will encounter “issues” with securing or building a permanent storage facility in 2030. The Korean Government ALWAYS underfunds NCRC, meaning that locating / building a permanent archive is almost certain to be hampered by MOHW “budget” issues — which could cause nebulous delays. Such delays could be convenient for the Korean Government, since they would hinder Adoptees’ ability to conduct a search through NCRC during the likely overlapping time period of the TRC 3 investigation.

We predict that this may leave NCRC’s collection of ALL Adoptee’s adoption records in limbo for an unknown amount of time (starting around May 30th, 2030, when NCRC’s current temporary storage facility lease ends).

We STRONGLY advise Adoptees with an interest in birth family search to submit their “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) request/s to NCRC BEFORE 2030 — in fact, for reasons spelled out below, we think it’s best to submit your request/s BY 2028 or EARLY 2029.

However, it may not be best to submit your request immediately in 2025 — as it will take NCRC some time to sort out the file transfer. Frankly, they may never be able to fully do so, but you will have to try nonetheless if you have interest in birth family search. You will have to use your own judgement on when the best time is for you to submit your request/s to NCRC.

To be frank, Paperslip is NOT going to continuously WARN Adoptees about this for the next 5 years as we warned KSS Adoptees and ALL Adoptees for 15 solid months regarding the July 19th, 2025 file transfer to NCRC. So you should put this on your calendar and keep this in mind! Please do not expect to submit a “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) request in 2030 and have it handled right away before whatever SECOND NCRC file transfer happens AGAIN sometime after May 30th, 2030. It takes at least 45 days for NCRC to conduct a search, and you should budget at least 2-3 months’ time MINIMUM for NCRC to conduct a full search — and that’s assuming that NCRC starts on your case as soon as you submit your request! Plus, as we detail below, it’s likely that NCRC may need MONTHS of time in advance of any SECOND file transfer to prepare, during which time, they could shut down their provision of Post Adoption Services with little to no advance notice. It is up to YOU to determine when is the best time for you to submit your request/s to NCRC. Stay informed!

Adoptees should also be advised that the likely imminent TRC 3 (Truth and Reconciliation Commission 3) investigation into Overseas Adoption may commence sometime in 2025 or 2026. Given that the last TRC 2 investigation lasted for around 5 years (from December 10th, 2020 — November 2025), the TRC 3 investigation could very well coincide with the SECOND movement of ALL Korean Adoption Agency files, sometime after May 30th, 2030, when NCRC’s current 5 year lease on its temporary storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do ends. This could present a convenient opportunity for the Korean Government to tie the files up with yet another failure to provide enough “budget” for a permanent storage facility — so yeah…plan ahead!

Remember that with the FIRST movement of ALL adoption files from the Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC’s temporary storage facility starting July 19th, 2025, at least one of the Korean Adoption Agencies (Eastern) ceased Post-Adoption Services around January 2025 — at least 6 MONTHS PRIOR to July 19th, 2025 start date of the file transfer to NCRC. This was in order to prepare for the file transfer — which NCRC would have to do also after May 30th, 2030, once their 5 year lease ends on their current temporary storage facility. In other words, DO NOT WAIT until the last minute in 2030 to submit your request/s to NCRC, because you will almost certainly run out of time!

So we STRONGLY recommend that you submit your “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search request/s to NCRC no later than 2028 or EARLY 2029!

Please see:

ALL 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

Segye Ilbo Article: ”All Adoption Records in One Place…’Security & Safety Equipment in Place’ [In-Depth Report]”

Segye Ilbo / Naver Article: “NCRC Secures Adoption Records Preservation Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province”

4.8 Billion Won Budget Request for 'Adoption Records Center' Rejected By The Ministry of Finance

Construction of a New "Adoption Records Center" in Gimpo By 2029 (FAILED PLAN)