The Search for Origins: A Journey Through Truth, Lies, and Uncertainty.

Above: Our AI depiction of the path of birth family search. The search for truth often uncovers a mixture of falsehoods and truths.

Every Korean Adoptee eventually confronts the question: Who Am I?

However, the pursuit of that question can often lead to a difficult path of truth, lies, and uncertainty.

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Most Adoptees (especially those who were adopted as babies, or children too young to have memories) believe for long periods of time that the information in their adoption paperwork is the “truth”.

However, many (often) adult Adoptees who have undertaken a birth family search often come to understand that the reality behind their paperwork is much more complex.

Of course, every Adoptee’s case is different, and we cannot know or predict anyone’s birth family search outcomes — or what is or is not truthful in their adoption documents. Everyone’s paperwork varies, and some Adoptees — especially Adoptees from later adoption decades such as the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s — may be more likely to have at least some truthful information in their adoption paperwork, at least as compared to Adoptees from the 1970s and prior, whose paperwork may have been more prone to falsification. However, certainly plenty of Adoptees from ANY decade have also come to find that their records were either partly or fully falsified. It just depends on the individual Adoptee’s case.

Adoptees often ask us if their paperwork is true or false. There is simply no way for us to know. The only way for an Adoptee to know if the information in their paperwork is true or false is if they are lucky enough to find a birth parent to whom they are a DNA match, who is then able to verify or deny the information contained in an Adoptee’s paperwork. However, even Adoptees who find their birth parent/s often have a difficult time of discerning the “truth” of what happened decades prior. Certain “truths” may never be known.

For those Adoptees who are fortunate enough to have birth parent name/s and birthdate/s in their paperwork (or otherwise in their possession), Adoptees must assume that the information is TRUE UNLESS PROVEN FALSE. Otherwise, the Adoptee has nothing to go on for a search in terms of the paperwork.

There is, of course, always DNA testing. Adoptees often say that “DNA is the only truth.” This is because so many Adoptees come to find that some or all of the information in their adoption paperwork has been falsified.

We have heard it all with regard to Adoptees’ experiences with birth family search — good, bad, and everything in between.

This post is intended to introduce Adoptees who have not yet begun a birth family search for some of the difficult realities they may encounter on their journey to understanding their identity.

For some, the road may lead to reunion. For others, opening Pandora’s Box — something which is almost always scary for Adoptees — may lead to more questions than answers.

No one can fully prepare for what a birth family search entails. We can only tell you that thousands of Korean Adoptees around the world have embarked on this journey over the decades. Adoptees’ experiences widely vary. Some find family easily…while some search for years without finding the family they are searching for. Regardless, a search will be transformative for an Adoptee, in both good and bad ways.

It’s possible to take small steps, and it’s also possible to explore how to take big leaps.

For those ready to make the leap, please take time to read through our FAQ:

ALL ADOPTEES START HERE! FAQ + SITE NAVIGATION.