Korean Adoptee Birth Family Search Recommendations - Shortcut Sheet For Adoptees + Other Korean Adoptee Organizations.

Posted to Paperslip on August 3rd, 2025.

Following July 19th, 2025 — the start date of the movement of ALL Korean Adoption Agency files to the Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child), your head may be spinning with all of the new changes to how birth family search now works in Korea. Paperslip is the ONLY site currently keeping up with these head spinning changes on behalf of Korean Adoptees. However, please be sure to read our important DISCLAIMER.

To help Korean Adoptees and Korean Adoptee led organizations understand how birth family search will work in Korea AFTER July 19th, 2025, we have included some of the most important links regarding Korean Adoptee birth family search below.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please DO NOT simply copy / paste our text below to other websites or to other social media platforms without our permission. We kindly ask that you share this Paperslip page LINK DIRECTLY with Adoptees! This is to ensure that as information here is updated, that Adoptees receive IMPORTANT updated information! One degree outside of our website, Adoptees tend to share paraphrased information which is INCORRECT! Sharing incorrect information can cost Adoptees years of wasted time and thousands of wasted dollars! Please responsibly share our LINKS — and do not just share our paraphrased information. Thank you!

 Please note that ANY website which refers you to begin your birth family search through your Korean Adoption Agency after July 19th, 2025 is OUT OF DATE!

*Please note that the adoption files of WESTERN (US, Canadian, European, and Australian) adoption agencies WILL NOT be moving to NCRC. Those files will remain with their respective Western Adoption Agencies. IF your Western Adoption Agency is still open, you can / should attempt to request documents from them. Please be advised that they may charge you a hefty fee. If you are a US Adoptee, please note that in the future, you will hopefully be able to file a FREE FOIA request in order to obtain adoption paperwork.

AFTER July 19th, 2025, ALL Korean Adoptees with an interest in birth family search must make their “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) requests through NCRC via the KAS website (*when the Adoptee is ready to do so). Please read below for more info.

Birth family search can be confusing and emotional. For this reason, we offer paid one-one-one Advisory Sessions via Zoom for ALL Korean Adoptees. We also strongly suggest that you rely on your family / friend support system or develop one through the globally linked Korean Adoptee community. Thousands of Adoptees have undertaken a birth family search before you — you never need to feel alone in the process.

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Korean Adoptee Birth Family Search - Introduction:

*Please Note: We know it's more PC to say "first family" than “birth family”, but “birth family” is a term with which most Adoptees are familiar. Fewer Adoptees are familiar with the more PC term “first family”.

Paperslip.org has provided the information and links below regarding birth family search.

Please note that birth family search can be a multi-pronged and complicated process. There are many free and paid resources to assist you. The information below can help to get you started.

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Background Information On Korean Adoption Agencies:

Please note that starting around 1976, the Korean Government designated 4 major Korean led Adoption Agencies: 


Note: KSS (Korea Social Service), the SMALLEST of the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies, ONLY partnered with a specific list of Partner Western Adoption Agencies in the US, Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland between 1964-2012. (If you were NOT adopted to these specific countries through these specific KSS Partner Western Adoption Agency within these specific years, you are NOT a KSS Adoptee).

*Please note that Korean Adoptees prior to 1976 could have been adopted through one of the major Korean Adoption Agencies or through a private adoption. Adoptees who were adopted through a private adoption may or may not have been adopted directly from a Korean Adoption Agency. Oftentimes, private adoptions occurred when prospective adoptive parent/s went to Korea physically to hand select a child from an orphanage or adoption agency. 

Each Korean Adoption Agency partnered with a specific set of Western Adoption Agencies, typically located in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and various European nations (all of the countries who assisted S. Korea during the Korean War). These partnerships varied by Korean Adoption Agency, with each Korean Adoption Agency maintaining its own unique network of international partners. The travel of adoptive parents to Korea to select a child was unusual in the heyday of proxy adoption. Proxy adoption unfortunately made it easy for Korean children to be orphanized, which has resulted in the birth family search process for thousands of Adoptees often being difficult or impossible due to frequently falsified paperwork. However, we should emphasize that NOT EVERYONE’S paperwork was falsified. There is no way for us or anyone to know whose paperwork was falsified and whose was not. Unfortunately the only way to find out if your paperwork is correct or not is to find a birth parent with whom you match through DNA, whom tells you the real story of your relinquishment. Obviously this can be hard to do if your paperwork is falsified, which is why we so strongly recommend that Korean Adoptees take ALL POSSIBLE DNA TESTS. DNA Testing is often the ONLY option for birth family search for Adoptees who have either no (or falsified) background information.

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Recommended Resources For Birth Family Search:

Paperslip.org
Website: https://www.paperslip.org/ 
Email: paperslipadoptee@gmail.com

Facebook Group for KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees ONLY — please be sure to answer the membership questions: KSS Cribmates

Korean Adoptees who were adopted through other Korean Adoption Agencies can find their relevant group Facebook pages here:
Korean Adoptee Resources - MAIN

Paperslip began in 2020 as a site by and primarily for KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees. However, the site has since evolved into a resource for ALL Korean Adoptees, regardless of their Korean Adoption Agency. Paperslip is one of the ONLY Korean Adoptee led websites dedicated to keeping Korean Adoptees up to date regarding current birth family search procedures (2020 - present). 

For those who need one-on-one assistance, Paperslip offers inexpensive paid one hour Zoom consultation sessions for Korean Adoptees and / or their spouses, adoptive parents, and children:

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

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NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child)
https://ncrc.or.kr/ncrc_en/main.do 

Please note that AFTER July 19th, 2025, Korean Adoptees will no longer be able to submit birth family search or document requests to their respective Korean Adoption Agencies in Korea (whether by email or in person).

ALL Korean Adoption Agency files began to be transferred to the Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) starting July 19th, 2025.

Please note: It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to read the following pages on Paperslip.org BEFORE you submit any requests to NCRC via the KAS website:

IMPORTANT DATES

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

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview
https://www.paperslip.org/start-here-general-birth-family-search-steps-overview

Now More Than Ever, It’s Important To Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information! (And ANY Adoption Documents You Have!)
https://www.paperslip.org/now-more-than-ever-safely-back-up-any-documents-you-have-which-contain-birth-parent-information

KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees please see:
NEW! Step By Step KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee Birth Family Search

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From June 16th - September 15th, 2025, NCRC will not accept “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) requests from Adoptees.

However, NCRC WILL accept requests for Adoption Certificates by email between July 19th, 2025-December 2025, after which, Adoptees will have to submit requests for Adoption Certificates through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website. NCRC will begin to accept a "Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure" (birth family search) request from Adoptees starting on September 16th, 2025. 

Please see:
IMPORTANT DATES

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

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NCRC's English Announcements Page:
https://www.ncrc.or.kr/ncrc_en/na/ntt/selectNttList.do?mi=1248&bbsId=1086&fbclid=IwY2xjawLs6Q5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi-FWKGJ6K08klaRJcEal0TrgCYwWcygnIzJGm8TKMQGAqP-KWbLS8kpvf1y_aem_6IAcxdSSoj2FuYSqtdjYgg

*Please note that NCRC does not always include all the information you need to know in these Announcements. We recommend that you also refer to Paperslip.org for important supplemental information. 

In particular, for ALL information relevant to the future of birth family search through NCRC AFTER July 19th, 2025, please see the important DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s homepage titled:

DROPDOWN: AFTER July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS

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KAS (Korean Adoption Services) Website: 
*Please note: It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to read the following pages on Paperslip.org BEFORE you submit any requests to NCRC via the KAS website:
https://www.kadoption.or.kr/en/root/adpt_info.jsp

NCRC still uses the old KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website. KAS was a predecessor to NCRC and was a former Korean Government Agency - not a Korean Adoption Agency. ALL Korean Adoptees after July 19th, 2025 who have an interest in birth family search will have to (when they are ready to do so) submit a "Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure" (birth family search) request to NCRC via the KAS website. Please note that Adoptees have been reporting issues with the KAS website for years. 

Please note: It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to read the following pages on Paperslip.org BEFORE you submit any requests to NCRC via the KAS website:

ALL Korean Adoptees Start Here!
General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview
https://www.paperslip.org/start-here-general-birth-family-search-steps-overview

Now More Than Ever, It’s Important To Safely Back Up Any Documents You Have Which Contain Birth Parent Information! (And ANY Adoption Documents You Have!)
https://www.paperslip.org/now-more-than-ever-safely-back-up-any-documents-you-have-which-contain-birth-parent-information

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NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) which assist Korean Adoptees in Korea:

GOAL / G.O.A’L Korea: 
https://goal.or.kr/
*Small yearly membership fee required
*Please note that as of August 1st, 2025, GOAL’s website is not up to date regarding current birth family search procedure through NCRC.

NEST Korea:
 https://www.nestkorea.or.kr/ 
(Korean website) 

NEST Korea Instagram account (English):
https://www.instagram.com/nestkorea/ 

Please note that starting July 19th, 2025, NCRC now partners with the NGO called NEST Korea. Please see:

NCRC Partners With Nest: “Support For Visits To Korea And Reunions With Birth Families” A Program For Overseas Adoptees.
 https://www.paperslip.org/ncrc-partners-with-nest-support-for-visits-to-korea-and-reunions-with-birth-families-program

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DNA Resources:

Taking DNA tests is a personal decision. However, for those Adoptees with no or falsified background information in their paperwork, DNA tests are often the best (and only) option for birth family search. We encourage you to take ALL possible DNA tests, as the DNA tests are siloed (separated) - and you never know who has taken which DNA test. We also strongly advise that you not mention that you are an Adoptee in your DNA profiles, and that you not mention you are adopted right away when you reach out to DNA relative matches. Keep your initial contact light and peppy, and provide your email contact information right away in case the DNA relative wishes to connect. You can later reveal you are an Adoptee after building a relationship of trust - but telling a DNA relative too soon that you are an Adoptee can often scare them away.

325Kamra
https://www.325kamra.org/

Please note that 325Kamra is a volunteer non-profit organization founded by US based Hapa (mixed race) Adoptees. This organization assists Adoptees by distributing FREE DNA tests (primarily FTDNA / Family Tree DNA) to both Korean Adoptees and Korean birth families in Korea.

Please note that Korean Adoptees are recommended to take ALL possible DNA tests.

The major DNA tests are:

23 and Me (currently recovering from bankruptcy). 
Please note that this test may yield the MOST results of all DNA tests for "full blooded" Korean Adoptees. 

Ancestry 
If you are a Hapa (mixed race) Adoptee, you will get MANY results no matter which DNA test you take. 

FTDNA
The test which has been distributed for free to Korean Adoptees around the world and to birth parents in Korea by the non-profit organization 325Kamra. It is important to take this test as over 800 Korean birth families are still waiting for a match through this test. 

MyHeritage 
Many Europeans take this test. It is important to take this test because the Korean Adoption Agencies often separated siblings and twins to different countries. Many Europeans are unaware of the other DNA tests. Many Americans are unaware of MyHeritage. 

GEDMatch
You can upload your raw data for free to this aggregate DNA match website. Please note that you may get artificially high matches from Chinese DNA tests through this site. The way that GEDMatch works is that it can help you to match a person who has taken a DIFFERENT commercial DNA test than you have (such as 23 and Me, Ancestry, FTDNA, or MyHeritage). Let’s say you have only taken 23 and Me, but your DNA relative has only taken Ancestry. If you BOTH upload your raw data to GEDMatch, then GEDMatch will match you through its database.

Korean Police Missing Persons (KNPA) DNA Test.
You can take this at a police station in Korea (recommended route) OR through a Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption (less recommended but fine if it is your only option). Please note that taking this test requires that you request / receive an Adoption Certificate from NCRC.

ALERT! Risk of false reunion!

Please note — due to the massive transfer of roughly 260,000 adoption files from the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC starting July 19th, 2025, and due to NCRC’s previous history of completely botching the “preservation” of Orphanage files over 10 years of time, we cannot more strongly advise any Korean Adoptees who are put into reunion with birth parents by NCRC (or anyone) to confirm the relationship through DNA testing. Please read about KGI (Korea Genetics Institute) and DowGene one-to-one, 4 day turnaround DNA tests on the “DNA Testing” page below. These tests are expensive however. You can get tested for free through 325Kamra, which has an office in Seoul.

For more information, please see:

DNA Testing
https://www.paperslip.org/dna-testing 

NCRC NOTICE: DNA Testing for Adoptees Without Identifiable Birth Family Information

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

325Kamra

Please be sure to read carefully about the Korean Police Missing Persons (KNPA) DNA test on the links above. Please note that Adoption Certificates from NCRC are required to take the KNPA test, either at a police station in Korea, or at a Korean Consulate in your Western country of adoption. IF possible, it is better to take this test a Korean police station than a consulate. This cuts out the middle man of the Korean consulate and ensures your DNA is entered directly into the KNPA database.

Please be sure to read about Adoption Certificates on both NCRC's website and on Paperslip for more information. You must request an Adoption Certificate (for use with various birth family search purposes) from NCRC in advance. Please note that turnaround times for Adoption Certificates from NCRC may be at least one week, if not more - so plan accordingly.

Please see:

NCRC NOTICE: DNA Testing for Adoptees Without Identifiable Birth Family Information

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

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Further Resources

*Please note that these resource pages may NOT currently up to date regarding birth family search. ANY website which refers you to begin your birth family search through your Korean Adoption Agency is OUT OF DATE. However, these sites still have a great deal of excellent resources for Korean Adoptees:

Adoptee Hub:
https://www.adopteehub.org/