IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT —
NCRC Partners With Nest: “Support For Visits To Korea And Reunions With Birth Families” A Program For Overseas Adoptees.
Paperslip Note: It looks like NCRC (The National Center for the Rights of the Child) is outsourcing homeland visits and some aspects of birth family search and reunion for Korean Adoptees to the Korean NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) called NEST /Doonji" (둥지), starting July 19th, 2025. We emailed NEST to try to clarify exactly what NEST’s role will be in relationship to the NCRC birth family search process. NEST helpfully answered our questions. You can see our email exchange below.
Please see NCRC’s announcement below.
This information was recently shared online.
Thanks to a Paperslip Contributor for the link.
Posted to Paperslip on July 20th, 2025.
*FAQ Regarding The NCRC = National Center for the Rights of the Child.
The email is apparently from:
Kang Ki-rim: sophiakang@ncrc.or.kr
Starting July 19th, 2025, NCRC has designated the non-profit organization "Nest / Doonji" (둥지) as the new NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) for supporting homeland visits and birth family reunions for Adoptees.
For more information or inquiries, please refer to the promotional materials provided by NCRC below. Since NCRC will be closed from June 16th - September 15th, 2025, we recommend that you contact NEST with any questions. They can communicate in English.
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A Paperslip Contributor wrote to NEST to try to clarify their role in the birth family search process with respect to NCRC. NEST wrote back quickly with friendly responses in English. Please see the email exchange below:
Initial email exchange — July 21st, 2025.
Summary: From what NEST told us via email, NCRC will handle the bulk of the birth family search process — including accepting and processing “Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure” (birth family search) requests from Adoptees via the KAS website (starting September 16th, 2025), and sending the 3 registered letters to the last known address of any known birth parent/s of an Adoptee.
Please note that the “3 letters” process constitutes just ONE birth family search attempt. An Adoptee is permitted by law to make ONE birth family search request PER YEAR through NCRC via the KAS website.
If a birth parent consents to connecting with an Adoptee — whether by email, Zoom, in person, etc. — NEST will handle this portion of the reunion process. So when NEST refers to writing “letters” to birth parents, this does NOT mean that NEST will be sending out the 3 registered letters to the last known address of any known birth parent/s of an Adoptee — that is NCRC’s role. Instead, this means that NEST will facilitate communication (using letters, email, Zoom, etc. — and in person translation) between an Adoptee and birth parent/s who both consent to a reunion.
There will be no cost to the Adoptee for either NCRC or NEST’s services. However, if an Adoptee uses NEST’s services for reunion, NEST says:
”There will be no cost for our service, but the cost for transportation, accommodation and daily meals will be on you.”
We think this is very fair. Please note that you should assume that the costs for “transportation, accommodation and daily meals” are not just for the Adoptee (and any accompanying friends / family members), but also for any NEST employee who assists with a reunion.
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Paperslip:
“Dear NEST,
I am writing to seek clarification in your role in your new partnership with NCRC. Please refer to the attached graphic.
Will it be NEST which performs the process of sending 3 letters to any known birth parents, based on the information provided by NCRC? In other words, will it be NCRC which handles the Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure - and NEST which handles actual birth family search through Jumin Centers / sending 3 letters / etc?
Or is NEST only facilitating translation for reunions?
Please clarify your role in the process.
Thank you!”
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NEST:
“Dear Madam or Sir,
Nest Korea is glad to give you this information.
Nest Korea has been entrusted by the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) to support overseas adoptees’ visiting Korea and meeting or communicating with their birth families.
You must submit an Adoption Information Disclosure Request to NCRC to search your birth family at the beginning. Due to the implementation of the “Special Act on Domestic Adoption” and the “Act on International Adoption”, the responsibility for handling adoptee information disclosure has been centralized under the NCRC.
In order to prepare for providing smooth service in the transition period of implementation of the laws, new acceptance of requests for adoptee information disclosure has been temporarily suspended and will be started again from September 16th, 2025.
Once the result of your information disclosure request is transferred to Nest Korea from NCRC, we will provide the service to support your meeting with your birth family such as scheduling, interpretation and other related support.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Best Regards,
Nest Korea”
Nest Korea
404, Daehan Sports Association Building, 16, Mugyo-ro,
Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82-2-535-3217 / Fax: 02-2043-6378
www.nestkorea.or.kr
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Paperslip:
“Hi NEST,
Thank you for your swift response!
I am still confused - will it be NCRC or NEST which handles the process of searching for the birth parents (for example, through Jumin Centers) and sending out the 3 registered letters to the last known address of any birth parent?
Thank you for your clarification.”
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NEST:
“Dear Madam or Sir,
The one who is searching your birth family is NCRC after you (make) the request for "Adoption Information Disclosure" to NCRC. And once the information is disclosed by NCRC, Nest Korea is going to provide related services such as sending letters to the birth family, scheduling your visiting Korea, and meeting with your birth family and translation or interpretation.
Best Regards,
Nest Korea”
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Paperslip:
”Dear NEST,
Thank you for the clarification - it is much appreciated!
Will there be any associated cost for the Adoptee?”
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NEST:
”Dear Madam or Sir,
There will be no cost for our service, but the cost for transportation, accommodation and daily meals will be on you.
Best Regards,
Nest Korea”
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To our knowledge, NCRC has not yet provided official guidance on this announcement on their public Facebook page. It’s really NCRC’s job to clarify all of this.
However, on July 22nd, 2025, NCRC did post a KOREAN ONLY announcement on their Announcements page on their website here.
*Please note that another Seoul based NGO exists which assists Adoptees: GOAL.
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Please see this IMPORTANT related page:
Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC
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Please see below for NCRC’s promotional materials:
Please read important information below this graphic:
Paperslip Note: For ease of reading, we have used Google Lens to pick up the text from the graphic above to copy / paste the text below. Please refer to the original graphic above to double check any important information. Thank you!
Support for Visits to Korea and Reunions with Birth Families A Program for Overseas Adoptees:
To help overseas adoptees visit Korea and reconnect with their birth families, the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) commissioned Nest Korea to provide the following services as of July 2025.
Project Overview:
Who Can Apply? Overseas adoptees who wish to visit Korea and adoptees and birth families seeking to reunite for the first time.
Visit to Korea: Adoptees may request translation or interpretation services when planning an individual visit to Korea for purposes such as searching for their birth family.
Reunion with Birth Family: Support is available when the adoptee has requested adoption information disclosure, and the birth parent has agreed to disclose their information and is willing to meet.
How to Apply Send your inquiry or application by email to:
office9@nestkorea.or.kr
01 Please include the following information in your email: your name (before and after adoption), date of birth, and the service(s) you are requesting.
02 Nest Korea will provide a consent form for the collection and use of personal information. This form must be completed and returned, along with a document verifying that you are an adoptee, before support can be provided.
All visits must be scheduled in advance by email to ensure smooth coordination.
Project Details Support is available for both individual visits and reunions with birth families
01 Assistance with Visits to Korea and Birth Family Search
For adoptees visiting Korea to search for birth families or visit related agencies, Nest Korea provides general guidance and coordination as well as interpretation and translation services
02 Support for Reunions and Communication with Birth Families
Nest Korea helps arrange the first meeting of adoptees and their birth parents, coordinate DNA tests, and translate written communication.
Adoptees can apply for adoption information disclosure through the NCRC.
* Services may be limited depending on future project plans and budget availability.
Agency Commissioned to Provide Services
Nest Korea, established in 2006 as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Korea, has built extensive experience and expertise in supporting overseas adoptees and adoptive families reconnect with their birth families. We help overseas adoptees visit Korea, search for their birth families, and resettle in Korea. Nest Korea views all adoptees as family and strives to be their sister/brother and friend by offering a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment.
Phone +82-2-535-3217
(Office hours: 09:00-16:00 KST)
Email: office@nestkorea.or.kr
Website www.nestkorea.or.kr
Address #404, 16 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
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NEST appears to be within a very short walk of NCRC’s main office in Seoul.
NEST Address on Google Maps:
#404, 16 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
NEST Map On Their “Directions” Page:
https://www.nestkorea.or.kr/pages/map_daum.php
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NCRC Address Info:
NCRC Address in Korean:
서울특별시 중구 세종대로22길 12, 4-10층
(Showing image view)
NCRC Address in English:
Address: 12, Sejong-daero 22-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 4th-10th floors
(Showing map view)
Please note that ALL Korean Adoption Agency files are NOT housed at NCRC’s main office in Seoul. Instead, ALL Korean Adoption Agency files which will be transferred to NCRC beginning July 19th, 2025 will be located in NCRC’s temporary storage facility in Gyeonggi-do, one hour north of NCRC’s main office in Seoul.
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Below: NCRC’s main office in Seoul is in close proximity to NEST.
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Below: French Version of NCRC’s Graphic:
Below: Korean Version of NCRC’s Graphic:
