Adoptees seeking birth family should organize records; key search clues are often overlooked.
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Recently I conducted a private Zoom consultation with a KSS Adoptee which allowed the Adoptee to obtain critical information from Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan. Nam Kwang was a major “feeder orphanage” for both KSS and Holt. Nam Kwang is still open today.
However, the Adoptee forgot to share the critical documents they were able to obtain with me, meaning I was unaware that the Adoptee had obtained documents containing the names, birthdates and 13 digit ID numbers of their birth relatives.
Had the Adoptee shared this information with me, I could have advised them about how to use this information for birth family search.
I need to emphasize here that it is unfortunately VERY RARE — though not impossible — for Adoptees to obtain this level of information from Nam Kwang.
Fortunately the situation was resolved and a birth family member was located based on the information the Adoptee obtained based on our advice. However, this instance highlights a critically important point:
Adoptees MUST organize the adoption information in their possession so that they can easily share it with others attempting to help them with their search.
Otherwise, important opportunities for finding birth family members may be lost, due to Adoptee disorganization and confusion about the IMPORTANCE of the information they may already have in their possession.
With the Adoptee’s kind permission, we have provided redacted versions of the documents they were able to obtain based upon my advice, but which they initially forgot to share with me.
Hopefully these documents help other KSS Adoptees to become aware of the importance of ORGANIZING and SHARING legible copies of adoption documents with those who are attempting to help them in their search!
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For those Adoptees who are engaged seriously with birth family search - particularly for those who plan to visit Korea in the near future - it is SO important to organize ALL of your relevant adoption documents in one place, so it is easier to share them with others who are helping you with search.
Oftentimes Adoptees have documents scattered in different folders on their computer, in emails, documents which are not scanned, etc. It is critical to scan everything and to put the documents into PDF format if possible so they can easily be printed at a size which people can easily read.
Because our documents are often confusing, and we are often confused about the process, it is even more important to present a COPY of EVERY document related to your adoption to those assisting you with search.
Most Adoptees only ever see their own documents, and are unaware if they have special information in their files, such as 13 digit ID numbers, names, and birthdates of birth relatives. This information is critical for birth family search.
It pays to be organized!
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Example Document 1:
Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan document:
주민등록표
Resident Registration Card / Resident Registration Certificate
Below: A Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan document containing the birth relative information of a KSS Adoptee.
Document title: 주민등록표 / Resident Registration Card / Resident Registration Certificate
Of particular importance is the fact that this document contains the 13 digit ID numbers of the KSS Adoptee’s birth relatives. 13 digit ID numbers — which are like Western “social security numbers”— are one of the few ways to trace people in Korea if you do not know their direct contact information. Korean 13 digit ID numbers are encoded for gender, birthdate, and city of family origin.
This information, combined with the names and birthdates of the birth relatives, is essential information for tracking birth relatives down in Korea through Korean Police Stations, Jumin Centers, and City Halls.
Yet most Adoptees are UNAWARE of the importance of 13 digit ID numbers in Korea, and may not know that this information is critical for birth family search!
*Please be advised that sometimes the name/s, birthdate/s, and 13 digit ID numbers on this and other documents have sometimes been known to be falsified. However, this information is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT for any birth family search through Korean Police, Jumin Centers, and City Halls! Adoptees must assume information they have is TRUE UNTIL PROVEN FALSE — otherwise, Adoptees have nothing to go on for a search.
Above: Please note that we have partly redacted this Nam Kwang document for privacy.
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I Googled the Korean term “주민등록표” (Resident Registration Card / Resident Registration Certificate ) and came across this link which shows a “1977년 경남거창 주민등록표 ” (1977 Resident Registration Record of Geochang, Gyeongsangnam-do). The link shows images of a 1977 Resident Registration Record of non-Adoptee/s.
By comparing the Resident Registration Record form found online with the form obtained by the KSS Adoptee from Nam Kwang, it appears that the “주민등록표” (Resident Registration Record/Certificate) provided by Nam Kwang was not a Nam Kwang–specific document, but rather a standard form issued and used by the Korean government.
To be clear, I have seen only a very small number of cases in which KSS Adoptees obtained a “주민등록표” (Resident Registration Record/Certificate) from Nam Kwang.
Graphic Above:
TOP IMAGE:
Please note that this is the “1977 Gyeongnam Geochang Resident Registration” of Korean non-Adoptee/s which was found online. This makes clear that this document was not specific to Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan and was likely a standard 1970s government form.
BOTTOM IMAGE:
This is the 1970s 주민등록표 (Resident Registration Card / Resident Registration Certificate) obtained by a KSS Adoptee in 2026 from Nam Kwang Orphanage in Busan. This document contains the name/s and 13 digit ID numbers of the KSS Adoptee’s birth relatives.
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Example Document 2:
해외입양 이민승낙서
Overseas Adoption Immigration Consent Form
Below is a document of the same KSS Adoptee as above. Several KSS Adoptees have this document or have been able to obtain it over the years. However, this document is NOT present in the files of ALL KSS Adoptees. This document is one which was specifically meant to have been signed by a birth parent or guardian in order to release a child for overseas adoption. Sometimes this document contains critically important birth parent information, such as name/s, birthdate/s, and 13 digit ID numbers.
*Please be advised that sometimes the name/s, birthdate/s, and 13 digit ID numbers on this and other documents have sometimes been known to be falsified. However, this information is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT for any birth family search through Korean Police, Jumin Centers, and City Halls! Adoptees must assume information they have is TRUE UNTIL PROVEN FALSE — otherwise, Adoptees have nothing to go on for a search.
Above: Please note that we have partly redacted this document for privacy.