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.
There are many changes happening in the world of Korean Adoptees in 2025. Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about these changes.
DISCLAIMER: Paperslip.org is run entirely by Korea Social Service (KSS) Adoptee volunteers. We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent, any Korean or Western Adoption Agencies, or any government bodies such as the NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) or KAS (Korea Adoption Services).
The information we share has largely been gathered and verified through our own efforts, due to the lack of clear guidance from both Adoption Agencies and Korean Government institutions. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful resources for Adoptees, we ask for your understanding that we operate independently, and do not speak on behalf of any official organizations involved in adoption or birth family search.
It is up to YOU to independentlyverify any important information related to your birth family search process, and to act responsibly according to your own best interests. We take NO RESPONSIBILITY for the accuracy of the information presented here which may change over time, or about which we may not be aware and have thus omitted. If you spot anything which you think we should update, please let us know via email. Our knowledge is only as strong as the information which is shared with us by the community.
Thank you!
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Note—For More Info About The Transfer of ALL Korean Adoption Agency Files To The Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) Beginning July 19th, 2025, Please See The DROPDOWN MENU on Our Homepage:
”Starting July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS”
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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.
Question: Why are ALL Korean Adoption Agency files moving to NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) beginning July 19th, 2025?
Answer: Largely this is to do with S. Korea’s coming ratification of the Hague Convention in 2025. Korea previously signed but did not ratify the Hague Convention. Ratification of the Hague convention apparently stipulates the centralization of adoption files under one central authority. The Korean Government Agency NCRC (National Center for the Rights of the Child) will thus begin to take over ALL Korean Adoption Agency files beginning on July 19th, 2025.
Question: Will the transfer of all Korean Adoption Agency files to NCRC be a smooth process?
Answer: We wish. Unfortunately, we don’t think so. We would love to be wrong. We are very concerned that Korean Adoption Agency files will be lost or mixed up in the transfer process. Plus, these files are likely to be moved at least TWICE—since the transfer happening beginning July 19th, 2025 is only to a TEMPORARY storage facility, not a PERMANENT one.
Question: Why are ALL Korean Adoption Agency files being moved to a TEMPORARY storage facility managed by NCRC, and NOT to a PERMANENT one?
Answer: This is because the Korean Government has so far declined to provide a budget to build a PERMANENT storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency records which they are taking over starting on July 19th, 2025.
Question: Will the adoption files of my WESTERN (US, European, Canadian, Australian) Adoption Agency also be moved to NCRC?
Answer: NO. The adoption files of your WESTERN (US, European, Canadian, Australian) Adoption Agency should remain in their possession.
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Question: Will I be able to conduct a birth family search through my Korean Adoption Agency AFTER July 19th, 2025?
Answer: NO. ALL Korean Adoptees will have to submit birth family search requests through the KAS (Korea Adoption Services) website. KAS is the predecessor to NCRC and they are both Korean Government Agencies.
The Post Adoption Services of the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies will likely PERMANENTLY CLOSE after July 19th, 2025.
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Question: How do I request a birth family search AFTER July 19th, 2025?
Answer: ALL future birth family search requests AFTER July 19th, 2025 will have to be submitted through the KAS website.
Please see the DROPDOWN MENU on Paperslip’s home page titled:
”Starting July 19th, 2025, ALL Birth Family Search Requests Must Be Processed Through NCRC/KAS” +
Question: If I have a birth family search in progress through my relevant Korean Adoption Agency that is incomplete by July 19th, 2025, will my case automatically roll over to NCRC / KAS?
Answer: We don’t know, but we doubt that your case will automatically roll over from your Korean Adoption Agency to NCRC.
NCRC / KAS have provided NO GUIDANCE about this so far (as of May 5th, 2025). We would presume that the answer is NO—and that Adoptees who have birth family searches in progress at their relevant Korean Adoption Agency will very likely have to submit a NEW request through the KAS website after the file transfer on July 19th, 2025. NCRC / KAS have advised that they will not accept new requests until around mid-September 2025, to allow them time to deal with the file transfer.
Question: My adoption records state that I was at an orphanage PRIOR to being transferred to a Korean Adoption Agency. Will NCRC also be taking over the orphanage records?
Answer:
We are not sure which orphanage records—what we call “feeder orphanage” records—have been transferred to NCRC and which have not.
Please note that as Paperslip.org is primarily by and for KSS Adoptees, that we have not collected (nor do we plan to collect) the information about the feeder orphanages of the OTHER major Korean Adoption Agencies. So IF you were at an orphanage PRIOR to your transfer to a major Korean Adoption Agency, you will need to contact that orphanage yourself to find out whether or not they still have possession of their files.
For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, as of this writing on May 5th, 2025, we believe that the major KSS feeder orphanages are still in possession of their files. We frankly do not know exactly what will happen with these “feeder orphanage” files in the future, but for now we would NOT assume that NCRC has them in their possession at their temporary storage facility. We would assume (until told otherwise) that the major KSS “feeder orphanages” still have their files in their possession at their original locations. Please see: Sources of KSS Orphans + Orphanage List
It should be noted that NCRC royally screwed up on “preserving” / digitizing many orphanage files over the past 10 years. However, we are not aware of WHICH orphanages’ files were “preserved” by NCRC.
Question: Is NCRC’s new office building in Seoul located close to NCRC’s new temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files?
Answer: NO. Unfortunately, NCRC’s new office in Seoul is located about an hour away from its temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files, which is situated in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do—approximately one hour north of the new office. This is highly inconvenient for Adoptees. We are not sure how this will all work in terms of birth family search requests made through NCRC / KAS.
Please note that, in addition to its new main office in Seoul, NCRC will reportedly also maintain office space at the new temporary storage facility for ALL Korean Adoption Agency files, located in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
Question: How often can I submit a birth family search to NCRC / KAS?
Answer: You can make a NEW birth family search ONCE PER YEAR through the KAS website. Please note that you must wait ONE FULL YEAR from the date of the last correspondence from NCRC / KAS regarding your previous birth family search request. Each birth family search request entails sending 3 registered letters to the last known address of any known birth parents.
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Question: What other avenues for birth family search can I explore apart from submitting a once-per-year birth family search request through the KAS website?
Answer: We think that birth family search after July 19th, 2025 may boil down to DNA testing, FOIA (for US Adoptees ONLY—and FOIA is under threat, so hurry), and gumshoe investigation on the ground in Korea based on any information which a Korean Adoptee may already have in their possession.
Question: Should I still go to Korea, even if I don’t believe that I have any hopes of finding birth family?
Answer: YES. We strongly believe that it is so important for Korean Adoptees to visit Korea at least once in their lifetimes as an adult—if possible. Even if you are not able to find birth family (which frankly, the vast majority of us will not)—you can at least find YOURSELF.
There are many Korean Adoptee group tours you can participate in. We highly recommend that you do some online research (we will update our Resources page soon) and join online Korean Adoptee Facebook groups, such as “Korean Adoptees”.
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Question: Whom can I ask if I have specific questions about birth family search?
Answer: Please note that while Paperslip does not conduct on-the-ground birth family searches in Korea, we can guide Adoptees through the fundamentals of the search process and help demystify the various approaches involved. We can also refer you to trusted on-the-ground resources in Korea. Please see:
KSS Adoptees can reach out to us at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com for FREE initial birth family search assistance. KSS Adoptees are also highly encouraged to join the Facebook forum for KSS Adoptees ONLY called KSS Cribmates. Please be sure to answer the membership questions.
Non-KSS Adoptees can reach out to us directly at paperslipadoptee@gmail.com— however, please note that any questions by non-KSS Adoptees will have to be handled in the context of a PAID Zoom session.
