TRC 3 ESSENTIAL GUIDE: How to prepare for TRC 3 + TRC 3 application checklist.
Below is an Essential Guide for Korean Adoptees who are interested in preparing and submitting a NEW INDEPENDENT application to TRC 3.
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Paperslip Notes:
-This GUIDE is geared toward ENGLISH speaking Korean Adoptees who are submitting a NEW and INDEPENDENT case to TRC 3.
Please note that if your case was one of the 311 cases which were suspended from TRC 2, you should NOT have to reapply for TRC 3. Your case will be investigated automatically and first, before NEW cases which are submitted to TRC 3.
-Please see related:
UPDATE:
Step By Step Guide for Completing The TRC 3 Application.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta releases English TRC 3 application forms in both WORD and PDF format.
*Please Note: As of February 26th, 2026, the link above is the BEST source of BLANK TRC 3 application English and Korean forms, BOTH of which you will need.
Please see:
English speaking Korean Adoptee TRC 3 applicants must BOTH complete the English application form in English, AND HAND SIGN the Korean application form. BOTH forms must be submitted to TRC 3.
TRC 3 Releases English Application, Guide, and Poster. Submissions for TRC 3 will be accepted through Korean Embassies / Consulates or through email from Feb. 26th, 2026-Feb. 25th, 2028.
-The content below is similar to our earlier blog post:
Preparation For Submission Of Materials To TRC 3.
The information below is more updated, and may be consulted as your ESSENTIAL GUIDE.
Please check back frequently for updates:
PAPERSLIP BLOG: INFO HUB FOR TRC 3 AND IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATES
-Much of the information below broadly applies to ALL Korean Adoptees. However, this author is a U.S. KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptee, so some of the information below is from that perspective. Please feel free to broadly reference this information relative to your specific needs.
-This page is geared toward Korean Adoptees. We do NOT address the needs of Korean birth parents or children of Adoptees, or of anyone who is not a Korean Adoptee submitting their case to TRC 3 on this page.
-We will NOT be reviewing individual Adoptees’ TRC 3 submissions. However, we are happy to freely provide information in support of your INDEPENDENT submission of your case to TRC 3. All of our updates concerning TRC 3 will be posted here:
PAPERSLIP BLOG: INFO HUB FOR TRC 3 AND IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATES
-You do NOT have to submit your case to TRC 3 through ANY “representative” “Korean Rights” group — we recommend for PRIVACY (and other reasons) that you submit your case INDEPENDENTLY through a Korean Consulate / Embassy or through email directly to TRC 3.
-Especially if you are a U.S. Adoptee, please guard the privacy of your sensitive, private adoption documents in these times! Please consider whether or not NOW is the best time to submit sensitive, private adoption documents to ANYONE — including TRC 3! Records management is a big concern for documents submitted to TRC 3.
Please read about privacy concerns related to TRC 3:
The Hankyoreh Article: “Records Experts: ‘A Records Management Division Must Be Established in the 3rd Truth and Reconciliation Commission’”.
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PREPARING FOR TRC 3:
GENERAL NOTES.
Please Take Your Time.
There will be a 2 YEAR submission period, from February 26th, 2026 — February 25th, 2025, PRIOR to when a 2 year investigation period begins. Please DO NOT RUSH the preparation of your documents! Koreans are highly bureaucratic when it comes to forms and documents, and if the scans of your application and documents are too small, blurry, illegible, or NOT in PDF format — or if you do NOT fill out your forms properly — your case could be REJECTED!
IF your case is accepted by TRC 3 based off of your submission, you can later add documents to your submission through direct contact with TRC 3 investigators by email. However, it is advisable to submit a sample of your most relevant adoption documents with the FIRST submission of your case to TRC 3.
PRIVACY CONCERNS with TRC 3:
We STRONGLY advise that you REDACT sensitive information from your adoption documents. For U.S. Adoptees, please be sure to REDACT your A (Alien Number) and any other sensitive information which you do NOT wish to share with others.
Please read about privacy concerns related to TRC 3:
The Hankyoreh Article: “Records Experts: ‘A Records Management Division Must Be Established in the 3rd Truth and Reconciliation Commission’”.
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Taking Care Of Your Mental Health During TRC 3.
We personally experienced the trauma associated with the Korean Adoptee “leadership” during TRC 2 and witnessed the devastating impacts of TRC 2–related issues on other Korean Adoptees. In at least one case, the harm associated with an Adoptee’s participation in TRC 2 was both profound and permanent. Please take care to prioritize your mental health during TRC 3. Unfortunately, NONE of the other organizations which are highly encouraging Korean Adoptees to enter into the years long TRC 3 process are discussing mental health support at all.
Please see:
Taking Care Of Your Mental Health During TRC 3.
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Please manage your expectations for TRC 3.
TRC 3 will NOT be able to accept and investigate all of the hundreds or even thousands of cases which are submitted to them by Korean Adoptees from around the world. There are 311 cases which were suspended from the TRC 2 investigation into Overseas Adoption (2022-2025) which must still be closed out in TRC 3, BEFORE any NEW cases can be investigated.
We estimate that in the two year investigation period of TRC 3, they may be able to investigate and rule upon 30-80 NEW cases. This is just our best guess, based upon how TRC 2 played out and our query to ChatGPT (see link below). TRC 3 is also NOT inherently about birth family search. Please see:
Expectations vs. Reality: How many cases of Korean Adoptees can TRC 3 reasonably be expected to investigate in 2 years?
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TRC 3 is NOT essentially about birth family search.
Korean Adoptees who are submitting their cases to TRC 3 should understand that TRC 3 is NOT essentially about birth family search. While we do anecdotally know of a few Korean Adoptees whose birth parents were found incidentally in the process of TRC 2, this was NOT the essential mission of TRC 2, and will NOT be the essential mission of TRC 3.
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IF you are willing to take on the years long emotional and privacy risks involved in submitting your case for TRC 3, then please read more below:
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Below is a list of things which you MUST KNOW regarding your INDEPENDENT application to TRC 3.
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You MUST remain contactable at the SAME PERSONAL EMAIL address and the SAME PHONE NUMBER for the 4 year duration of TRC 3: 2026-2030.
Above — Adoptees whose cases are accepted by TRC 3 will be connected, much like dominoes. IF your case is accepted by TRC 3, you MUST remain contactable and responsive from 2026-2030 — if not, you could hold the entire process back for EVERYONE!
Apparently TRC 3 will put those Adoptees’ cases which it accepts into groups of around 30 or more. The TRC 3 process CANNOT MOVE FORWARD to the next batch of Adoptees’ cases until ALL of the Adoptees in the previous group have been contacted regarding their case. This means that IF Adoptees are NOT contactable throughout the ENTIRE 4 YEAR TRC 3 process, this could hold the ENTIRE process back for EVERYONE!
Therefore, it is VERY IMPORTANT for any Korean Adoptees who submit their cases INDEPENDENTLY to TRC 3 be sure to have a DEDICATED PERSONAL EMAIL address which they regularly check for TRC 3 communications.
This CANNOT be a WORK email address. It must be a PERSONAL email address. You need to make sure that you regularly check your email and that you check your SPAM folders. You also need to make sure that your email does not fill up.
You will also need to keep the SAME PHONE NUMBER for at least 4 years — from 2026-2030.
You will basically need to keep the SAME PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER for at least 4 years — from 2026-2030. YOU MUST REMAIN CONTACTABLE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND BE RESPONSIVE TO EMAILS FROM TRC 3 INVESTIGATORS!
The TRC 3 process will have a 2 year SUBMISSION process (from February 26th, 2026 — February 25th, 2028), followed by a 2 year INVESTIGATION process.
If you are NOT able to COMMIT FULLY to this 4 YEAR process, please do NOT submit your case to TRC 3!
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YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION: YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.
-Throughout the TRC 3 application process, be sure to use a SINGLE email address which is your personal and NOT your work email address.
-Be sure to also have the SAME PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS — the one which you provide to TRC 3 through your application form — from 2026-2030!
-Be sure to check this email address periodically for communications from TRC 3 investigators.
-Be sure that your email address does NOT fill up.
-You need to make sure that you can be contacted throughout the at least 4 YEAR LONG TRC 3 PROCESS at the SAME EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER.
-If necessary, create an email dedicated to TRC 3 communications. Make sure however that this email address either forwards to your regular email address (so that you are notified) or be sure to regularly check this dedicated email account. You need to make sure that you can be contacted throughout the at least 4 YEAR LONG TRC 3 PROCESS (2026-2030) at the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS.
-Be sure to check your SPAM folders for email communications from TRC 3 investigators.
-Be sure to also have the SAME PHONE NUMBER — the one which you provide to TRC 3 through your application form — from 2026-2030!
-If you DO NOT RESPOND to emails or phone calls from TRC 3 investigators in a timely manner, YOU COULD HOLD THE ENTIRE INVESTIGATION BACK FOR EVERYONE!!!
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CREATE ONE SINGLE FINAL PDF WITH ALL OF YOUR TRC 3 APPLICATION MATERIALS!
Please understand that TRC 3 may receive hundreds, if not thousands of applications from Korean Adoptees around the world. To put this in some perspective, the TRC 2 investigation into Overseas Adoption accepted 367 cases and ruled in just 56 cases in THREE YEARS of time.
Please DO NOT send TRC 3 separate PDF (or other) files!
Please send TRC 3 ONE FINAL PDF containing ALL of your application materials for TRC 3!!!
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ACCEPTANCE OF YOUR CASE IS NOT GUARANTEED.
It is not guaranteed that your case will be accepted by TRC 3. Any submitted cases will go through a review process, after which, TRC will notify those whose cases will be accepted by email.
Even if your case is accepted, there is no guarantee that TRC 3 will render a judgment upon or even have time to investigate your case during its two-year investigation.
You can learn more about the TRC 3 process here:
The TRC 3 “Truth Verification (Fact-Finding) Processing Procedure”.
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TRC 3 IS MORE INTERESTED IN YOUR WESTERN (U.S. / European / Canadian / Australian) ADOPTION DOCUMENTS THAN YOUR KOREAN DOCUMENTS.
Above — we have serious privacy concerns regarding the mass submission of Korean Adoptees’ sensitive, private adoption documents to TRC 3.
Please note that TRC 3 appears to have more interest in your Western (U.S. / European / Canadian / Australian) adoption documents than in your Korean documents. TRC 3 appears to be especially interested in U.S. adoption documents, since these are NOT obtainable by TRC 3 officials, and since the U.S. was notably underrepresented in TRC 2.
TRC 3 WILL be able to obtain your KOREAN documents. TRC 3 will NOT be able to obtain your U.S. / Western documents. However, we strongly recommend that you carefully sequence in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER and SCAN and submit in PDF format, ALL adoption documents which you have in your possession (whether Korean or Western), and are able to obtain through any other means. We have described various ways in which to obtain your adoption documents below.
PRIVACY CONCERNS with TRC 3:
FOIA for U.S. Adoptees:
While Adoptees may be currently be encouraged by some groups to file a FOIA request in order to obtain U.S. side adoption documents, we STRONGLY WARN you to NOT file a FOIA request in these times. Please read about our CURRENT FOIA WARNINGS here.
We STRONGLY advise that you REDACT sensitive information from your adoption documents. For U.S. Adoptees, please be sure to REDACT your A (Alien Number) and any other sensitive information which you do NOT wish to share with others.
Please read about privacy concerns related to TRC 3:
The Hankyoreh Article: “Records Experts: ‘A Records Management Division Must Be Established in the 3rd Truth and Reconciliation Commission’”.
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IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE ADOPTION DOCUMENTS IN YOUR POSSESSION:
If you have not done so previously, submit a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure to NCRC. (this would be to try to obtain Korean adoption documents — and you can also request to initiate a birth family search through NCRC if desired).
Expect around a 5–6 month response time, unless you visit Korea in person.
-ALL former Korean Adoption Agency files were transferred to the Korean Public Institution NCRC (National Center for the Rights of Child) on July 19th, 2025. Currently, (as of this writing on February 9th, 2026), this massive archive of around 250,000 records are stored at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. However, these records could be moved yet AGAIN to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives, sometime in the first half of 2026. All of this makes birth family search and obtaining former Korean Adoption Agency records very difficult.
For the CURRENT process for submitting a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure and birth family search request to NCRC, please see:
ALL Adoptees Start Here! General Birth Family Search Steps Through NCRC — Overview
Address and Contact Info For Important Locations Related To Birth Family Search Through NCRC.
How To Book An Appointment At NCRC’s Two Locations in Korea
Please note that navigating the NCRC process is a bit complex, particularly IF you plan to visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do in person. NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do is located about an hour northwest of the main part of Seoul. However, NCRC also has a MAIN Office in Seoul, which DOES NOT house any of the original adoption records. However, it is at NCRC’s main office in Seoul that you can request a “file review” of COPIES of your Korean Adoption Agency documents only. The only place currently where you can see ORIGINALS of your documents is at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.
We assume that NCRC will have to have completed your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure BEFORE you can set up an appointment to visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. Please see:
How To Book An Appointment At NCRC’s Two Locations in Korea
Please note that, depending on the nature of your request, and whether or not you are physically IN Korea when you make it, your wait time for a response from NCRC could vary widely, from a week to five or more months. Everyone who assists Adoptees at this point is trying to figure out how this all works — which is why we strongly advise you to consult with GOAL as well about the NCRC process. Frankly, no one organization knows everything about how it all works, and things are rapidly changing.
Filling out NCRC’s Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure form is not that hard —assuming you are able to create a log in (which is often problematic thanks to NCRC’s long outdated website) — and we have outlined the process above. However, please note that filling out NCRC’s form interacts in tricky ways with SCHEDULING IN PERSON visits to NCRC’s current Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to look at your former Korean Adoption Agency’s files — which is why we recommend reaching out to the NGO (Non Governmental Organization) GOAL BEFORE you fill out these forms, to ensure that you do this correctly. GOAL charges a very reasonable $100 per year membership fee.
IF you plan to visit Korea and wish to visit NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, we cannot more strongly recommend that you connect with GOAL via email, WELL BEFORE your planned trip to Korea. Arranging trips to visit NCRC’s two locations is complex, and interacts with your request for and NCRC’s completion of your Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure, the process for which we have outlined through the links above.
Because workers at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility only meet with Korean Adoptees three times per day, three times per week, you really need to make sure that you can obtain an appointment with NCRC BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR TRIP!
The likely SECOND file transfer from NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives in the first half of 2026 is also likely to significantly complicate the process of birth family search through NCRC for the foreseeable future — and certainly throughout the duration of TRC 3. NCRC will be unlikely to sufficiently notify Adoptees of the exact timeline of the transfer process to the Seongam Branch of the National Archives. We anticipate that many Adoptees who visit Korea expecting to view their files at NCRC may be sorely disappointed if they visit in the midst of the file transfer process.
Welcome to The Hunger Games. It’s not going to be easy, and unfortunately, only the very persistent are going to make it through this process.
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PREPARATION FOR TRC 3:
STEP 1: Gather your relevant adoption documents.
(See above).
See related:
Preparation For Submission Of Materials To TRC 3
*An IMPORTANT Note About Scanning Documents:
Please note that you MUST make CLEAR / CLEAN SCANS of your documents.
Please DO NOT take photos of your documents — SCAN THEM. Your documents MUST be easy to read and CLEAR and NOT BLURRY.
Photos of your documents are NOT ACCEPTABLE and may cause your TRC 3 application to be REJECTED.
*Please note that TRC 3 has more interest in your submission of Western (U.S. / European / Canadian / Australian) adoption documents than it does in Korean Adoption Agency documents.
TRC 3 has a particular interest in U.S. documents, since there were so few U.S. Korean Adoptees who were part of TRC 2.
Please read the section below titled “Supplemental Documents” for TIPS about how to prepare, chronologically sequence, and SCAN your documents.
Please read about our PRIVACY CONCERNS specifically related to TRC 3’s interest in collecting U.S. Korean Adoptees’ adoption documents here:
The Convergence: An Imperfect Storm for Korean Adoptees.
The Hankyoreh Article: “Records Experts: ‘A Records Management Division Must Be Established in the 3rd Truth and Reconciliation Commission’”.
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SOURCES OF DOCUMENTS:
-NCRC.
Please see the section titled “SUBMIT A PETITION FOR ADOPTION INFORMATION DISCLOSURE TO NCRC” above for more information about submitting a Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure to NCRC. Please note that the response time from NCRC may be up to 5 months, depending upon the nature of your request. Your response time may be expedited IF you email NCRC to let them know when you plan to be in Korea. Please note that requesting documents is different from requesting a birth family search through NCRC. Please contact GOAL, which requires a $100 per year membership fee, if you would like direct assistance with navigating the NCRC process, particularly IF you are planning a trip to Korea. We can also help you with the basics of the NCRC process in the context of a private consultation — however, we will NOT be advising individuals about the TRC 3 process in the context of a paid consultation. All of the information which we will be providing about the TRC 3 process will be done either publicly through Paperslip’s Blog, or privately for KSS Adoptees on the forum KSS Cribmates.
-Your adoptive parents.
Any adoption documents or relevant photos which your adoptive parent/s have in their possession. It is understood that not everyone has a great relationship with their adoptive parents, and that obtaining documents may be a fraught process. Please use your own best judgment about how far you want to go in order to obtain documents from adoptive parents.
-Yourself:
Any Korean or Western adoption documents or relevant photos which you have in your possession.
-For US Adoptees ONLY:
Any prior FOIA requests which were successfully fulfilled with just a few redactions. (All FOIA requests will be somewhat redacted, but FOIA requests since early 2025 have been coming back up to 90% redacted).
*Please note that filing a FOIA request in these current times is NOT recommended without first consulting a U.S. immigration attorney whom you trust. If you do not have urgent needs to make a FOIA request, we strongly recommend that you avoid doing so. According to Adoptee Rights Law, FOIA requests are currently coming back up to 90% redacted. The FOIA process has many associated WARNINGS about which we have posted to our FOIA page. We have been recommending the FOIA process to US Adoptees since around 2018 — so IF you have a previously successfully fulfilled FOIA request, where your FOIA documents do NOT contain a ton of redactions, definitely DO submit these documents to TRC 3 as part of your case — so long as you feel comfortable doing so in these times! Please be sure to READ about FOIA BEFORE you submit any FOIA request in these unprecedented and rapidly changing times!
-For European / Canadian / Australian Adoptees:
Any Western adoption documents or relevant photos which you or your adoptive parents have in your possession or which you can obtain from relevant authorities.
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CHECKLIST OF ITEMS YOU NEED TO SUBMIT FOR YOUR TRC 3 APPLICATION:
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1. Completed Application.
UPDATE — February 26th, 2026:
Please see our NEW:
Step By Step Guide for Completing The TRC 3 Application.
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Please see:
The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta releases English TRC 3 application forms in both WORD and PDF format.
*So far, Atlanta’s is the only Korean consulate / embassy website which has English and Korean forms in both WORD and PDF format. The WORD document is nice because it is easy to fill out by typing — however, please note that if you are submitting your final application packet via email, you will need to create a SINGLE PDF with ALL of your relevant documents. Also be sure to HAND SIGN and also date the English form.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
While you do NOT need to fill out the Korean form, you WILL need to sign it.
Please see:
English speaking Korean Adoptee TRC 3 applicants must BOTH complete the English application form in English, AND HAND SIGN the Korean application form. BOTH forms must be submitted to TRC 3.
Presumably if you submit your documents in person to a Korean Consulate or Embassy, you can submit a printed packet of information.
We will post updates to the PAPERSLIP BLOG about TRC 3. Please check back frequently:
PAPERSLIP BLOG: INFO HUB FOR TRC 3 AND IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATES
Please DO NOT use anyone’s else’s application forms except for the ORIGINAL TRC 3 English application forms from the The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta or other U.S. Consulates / Embassies.
Please note that you should download forms from the The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta and not from this link below:
TRC 3 Releases English Application, Guide, and Poster. Submissions for TRC 3 will be accepted through Korean Embassies / Consulates or through email from Feb. 26th, 2026-Feb. 25th, 2028.
2. Cover Letter.
You can write a COVER LETTER to TRC 3 outlining the key points of your case. There is so far no official guidance on how long this can be, but we recommend 1-2 pages maximum. Please write your cover letter in English.
*Please note that your TRC 3 application materials will be read by Korean native speakers. You should definitely make your application in ENGLISH, but for items such as your COVER LETTER, you might consider using ChatGPT to create an additional KOREAN TRANSLATION.
We recommend typing into ChatGPT:
Translate to polite Korean: (type your English text, without parentheses).
Copy this Korean translation beneath your English COVER LETTER.
Learn how to use ChatGPT for Korean text translation here:
ChatGPT for Korean Text Translation
3. Timeline.
Create a timeline of the most relevant events in your adoption case.
Please see related:
Preparation For Submission Of Materials To TRC 3.
Based off of the adoption documents in your possession and what you can obtain, create a detailed timeline of events, which you will eventually put into PDF format for submission along with your other documents to TRC 3. It will be easiest to make a timeline AFTER you have put your documents into chronological sequence.
4. Supplemental Documents.
-The more adoption documents and information you have, the better, but gather and scan whatever documents you have or can obtain.
-You can also include summaries of interactions you have had with your Korean Adoption Agencies and NCRC — for example, if your requests were denied or significantly delayed, or if your Korean Adoption Agency or NCRC lied to you in the process of your birth family search. You can include this information as part of a SUMMARY to be included as the first page of your ONE PDF document packet to be submitted to TRC 3 as part of your application.
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*NOTE FOR KSS (KOREA SOCIAL SERVICE) ADOPTEES ONLY:
For KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees, you will often have an ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary which says that you were “abandoned” with “unknown parents” and were found with a “paper-slip” or “memo” in your “clothings” (sic). From 2021-2025, we at Paperslip have helped KSS Adoptees request and obtain their formerly secret KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary, which often, though not always, contains a more truthful version of a KSS Adoptee’s background story. The Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary may contain birth parent names and birthdates, even if the English Adoptive Child Study Summary says that the (then child / now KSS Adoptee) had “unknown parents”. This discrepancy between the English and Korean documents is a primary example of widespread ORPHANIZATION in Korean Adoption Agency practice overall. If your English and Korean Adoptive Child Study Summaries differ — as is frequently the case — then it is important to include BOTH of these documents for your submission to TRC 3. This is often the most obvious sign of adoption falsification for KSS Adoptees.
If you obtained your Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary with our assistance, or through any other manner previously, please be sure to include copies of your ENGLISH Adoptive Child Study Summary AND your KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary amongst the adoption documents you submit to TRC 3.
If you later found birth parents, but your English Adoptive Child Study Summary or other adoption documents said that your parents were “unknown”, then you should certainly write about this for your TRC 3 submission.
*IMPORTANT NOTE for KSS Adoptees:
For KSS Adoptees who have NOT previously obtained their formerly secret Korean Adoptive Child Study Summary, please see:
KSS Adoptees: Please be aware of complications regarding the KSS document called the “KOREAN Adoptive Child Study Summary” when making Petition for Adoption Information Disclosure requests to NCRC.
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-Make HIGH QUALITY SCANS of whatever you have and put them into PDF format — preferably in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, from earliest date to most recent.
-If you have, for example, files from your Korean Adoption Agency, your Western Adoption Agency, and FOIA (for U.S. Adoptees only — please read our CURRENT WARNINGS about the FOIA process in these times) then we recommend the following process:
-First, buy archival plastic sleeves, the kind which are made to be placed into 3-ring binders. Also buy a 3 ring binder large enough to contain ALL of your most relevant adoption documents.
-Second, put your original and / or copies of your adoption documents in these archival plastic sleeves. Place one document per sleeve so that you can see both the FRONT AND BACK of EACH document. This will be important for later SCANNING.
-Third, SEQUENCE ALL of your adoption documents — from oldest to newest — in a large 3 ring binder. Having your documents in the archival plastic sleeves makes them easy to rearrange chronologically in your 3 ring binder. If you are a U.S. Adoptee, and you successfully received mostly unredacted documents through a prior *FOIA request, then include those documents sequentially as well.
*Please be sure to read our WARNINGS about filing a FOIA request in the current environment in the U.S. We do NOT recommend filing a FOIA request right now, unless you have serious needs. Please be sure to consult with an immigr. attorney whom you trust BEFORE filing a FOIA request.
-Fourth, SCAN high quality images of your documents. You can leave them in the archival plastic sleeves for scanning! This way, you don’t mess up your documents in the process of scanning them. Be sure to scan FRONT AND BACK of documents (if the documents have information on the back).
-Fifth, SCAN high quality images of documents which confirm any name changes you have made over the years, such as through marriage / divorce / etc. You want to be able to connect your current name back to your original name at the time of your adoption.
-Sixth, scan your Photo ID — Passport or Drivers License.
-Seventh, use Adobe Acrobat to create ONE PDF of ALL of your documents, including your summary of your case, your sequentially organized adoption documents, your legal name change documentation, your timeline, and your photo ID. If you decide to write a summary of your case (recommended), make the summary the FIRST page of your PDF.
-NOTE: If you need to email large files to the TRC 3 commission after they accept your case (assuming your case is accepted), please be advised that you may need to use the FREE service WeTransfer to transmit large PDF files. However, please WAIT to send anything as we do not yet know the official guidelines for submission of applications to TRC 3 for those who file INDEPENDENTLY of representative groups. You have to submit your application TOGETHER with your documents, not separately. So be sure to be 100% prepared before you submit anything to TRC 3.
5. Proof of Legal Name Changes.
Please note that throughout the TRC 3 application process, you MUST use your FULL ENGLISH LEGAL NAME. You cannot use nicknames, fake names, or informally used names which incorporate your Korean name, etc.
If your LEGAL name has changed since the time of your adoption, you must provide evidence of your legal name change / changes.
In other words, you will need to provide documentation of any NAME CHANGES you have had over the years, due to such events as marriage or divorce. It is important to TRC 3 that they know exactly who you are. You always want to be sure to connect yourself back to your ORIGINAL MAIDEN (UNMARRIED) NAME AT THE TIME OF YOUR ADOPTION.
6. Photo ID.
Scan your Photo ID — Passport or Drivers License.
7. KOREAN Application.
Update — March 31st, 2026:
Please See The NEW:
Guide to the TRC 3 KOREAN form for Adoptees submitting INDEPENDENTLY. You must also fully complete the ENGLISH form and follow all required steps.
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FINALLY:
Please note:
You do NOT have to completely fill out the KOREAN application, but you will need to fill out parts of it and HAND SIGN and DATE it.
Update — March 31st, 2026:
Please See The NEW:
Guide to the TRC 3 KOREAN form for Adoptees submitting INDEPENDENTLY. You must also fully complete the ENGLISH form and follow all required steps.
IF YOU SUBMIT VIA EMAIL, CREATE ONE SINGLE FINAL PDF WITH ALL OF THE TRC 3 APPLICATION MATERIALS LISTED ABOVE!
If you submit your application materials to a Korean Consulate / Embassy, you will likely be required to PRINT your application materials.
Please understand that TRC 3 may receive hundreds, if not thousands of applications from Korean Adoptees around the world. To put this in some perspective, the TRC 2 investigation into Overseas Adoption accepted 367 cases and ruled in just 56 cases in THREE YEARS of time.
Please DO NOT send TRC 3 separate PDF (or other) files!
Please send TRC 3 ONE FINAL PDF containing ALL of your application materials for TRC 3!!!
If you submit your application materials to a Korean Consulate / Embassy, you will likely be required to PRINT your application materials.
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Submitting Your Materials To TRC 3.
Above — Official TRC 3 poster. For more information, please see:
TRC 3 Releases English Application, Guide, and Poster. Submissions for TRC 3 will be accepted through Korean Embassies / Consulates or through email from Feb. 26th, 2026-Feb. 25th, 2028.
Please note that TRC 3 will have a 2 year submission period from February 26th, 2026 - February 25th, 2028.
Please prepare your application carefully and do not hurry!
You will be able to submit your materials to TRC 3 through a Korean Consulate / Embassy in your home country, or through email (TBA). Please note that we will share more information on the PAPERSLIP BLOG as it becomes available:
PAPERSLIP BLOG: INFO HUB FOR TRC 3 AND IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATES
The 2 year submission period will be followed by a 2 year investigation period for the cases which TRC 3 accepts.
So TRC 3 will last from February 26th, 2026 - sometime in 2030.
IF you submit your case to TRC 3, and IF your case is accepted, you MUST remain contactable at the same personal email and phone number for at least 4 years — from 2026-2030!
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PAPERSLIP NOTE:
Paperslip will NOT charge Adoptees for reviews of their TRC 3 cases.
However, we will also NOT provide individual reviews of Adoptees’ TRC 3 cases at ALL. We will, however, happily share information for FREE about the TRC 3 submission process here on Paperslip (check our blog for updates)!
Please note that Paperslip will NOT be offering individual reviews of Adoptees’ TRC 3 cases as part of our regular paid Zoom consultation sessions, which we began WELL BEFORE the TRC 3 process. We will continue to provide our paid Zoom sessions an option for Adoptees who wish to understand the general birth family search process through NCRC and to advise Adoptees about upcoming trips to Korea — but we will NOT individually review Adoptees’ TRC 3 forms in the context of these paid consultations. We don’t even have time to do so.
KSS (Korea Social Service) Adoptees are welcome to ask questions about the TRC 3 process on the Facebook group KSS Cribmates. This is a Facebook group, so it is obviously FREE to join. Please note that this is a forum for KSS Adoptees ONLY. Please be sure to answer the membership questions for this group if you apply, or your request will be denied. We do NOT admit those with empty or obviously fake profiles.
Thank you!