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Posted to Paperslip on October 12th, 2025 at 10:52 pm PST / 1:52 am EST.
Translation via ChatGPT.
We have included ChatGPT translations of the two graphics in the translation below.
Thank you to a Paperslip Contributor for the link.
Some BOLDS and all red highlighting ours.
Please see original Korean article for photos.
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Paperslip Note:
This article discusses the strong possibility that all former Korean Adoption Agency files—only recently transferred from the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies to NCRC’s temporary storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do—may soon be transferred to the Seongnam branch of the National Archives.
According to a Paperslip Contributor:
The National Archives of Korea has 3 branch offices in Seongam, Daejeon, and Busan. (If all goes as planned) the former Korean Adoption Agency records will transfer from their current location at NCRC’s Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongam branch office of the National Archives which is located here:
30, Daewangpangyo-ro 851 beon-gil, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
경기 성남시 수정구 대왕판교로851번길 30:
Naver Maps Link
Google Maps Link
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Paperslip Note 2:
This is potentially major news, though the decision to move the files of the 4 major Korean Adoption Agencies from NCRC’s current Temporary Storage Facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the National Archives does not yet seem final.
We unfortunately foresee a lot of confusion ahead as this all gets sorted out.
We really cannot say when it will be a good time to submit requests to NCRC...this could potentially cause years of delays, but no one knows for certain what will happen yet.
Unfortunately, we could have predicted the current circumstances: once our files fell into the hands of the Korean Government, they would become a political football—passed around with little regard for the Adoptees whose lives and histories they contain.
While the planned transfer of these records from NCRC’s temporary storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do to the Seongnam branch of the National Archives might seem like a move toward greater security, it also introduces new risks. Every physical relocation of these files creates yet another opportunity for loss, damage, or bureaucratic entanglement.
Sadly, we foresee potentially years of confusion, obstruction, and delay—conveniently aligning with the likely launch of the Third Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC 3).
Adoptees have said for years that the best place for the Korean Adoption Agency files would be the National Archives. But of course, instead of listening to that advice, NCRC chose to transfer the files first to its inadequate temporary storage facility in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. Now, just 3 months later, NCRC is planning to have the files transferred AGAIN to the Seongam branch of the National Archives.
Welcome to the Hunger Games. It’s not going to get any easier from here.
We’ve said this from the moment we first learned of the first transfer to the NCRC: these file transfers could represent the end of the paper trail for birth family searches—what we have long called the paper trail of tears. For many Adoptees, the future of birth family search may come down to taking ALL possible DNA tests. For now, DNA testing will be the best thing for Adoptees with an interest in birth family search to focus on, as the fate of NCRC’s storage of the Korean Adoption Agency files gets sorted out.
In the wake of this news, we simply do not yet know how NCRC will handle requests which have been already been submitted to them since September 16th, 2025.
We are sorry, and we wish it were ever going to be any easier.
We will post any new information as we learn more.
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By Dara Won | Published: Oct 12, 2025, 12:00 PM KST
Temporary archive set up in former cold storage facility under fire
Plan underway to transfer records to National Archives
Follow-up actions like ordinance revisions needed
Plans to build permanent Adoption Records Center still stalled
A temporary archive for adoption records—set up just three months ago by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) in a warehouse in Deokyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province—is now being considered for relocation to the National Archives under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Critics say the initial location was poorly chosen due to fire safety concerns, and the new plan has drawn backlash for wasting 1.5 billion won (~$1.1 million USD) in setup costs. Meanwhile, efforts to build a permanent Adoption Records Center remain sluggish.
According to materials submitted to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-hee, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, the MOHW is planning to transfer the adoption records currently stored in the Goyang warehouse to a branch of the National Archives in Seongnam for entrusted preservation. On October 10, the MOHW signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Child Rights Agency (NCRC / National Center for the Rights of the Child) and the National Archives to this effect.
This move comes after ongoing criticisms regarding the initial archive’s compliance with public records management guidelines. The Child Rights Agency (NCRC), under the MOHW, had taken over 70 years’ worth of adoption records—previously managed by private agencies—and created a temporary archive to store records of 260,000 overseas adoptees.
However, the facility, a repurposed cold storage warehouse, did not meet fire safety requirements. According to regulations, archival storage must include gas-based fire suppression systems rather than water-based sprinklers. In the case of the current facility, the system cannot be modified; in the event of fire, only handheld gas extinguishers can be used, and sprinklers would be activated at 72°C or above—raising concerns over the safety of the documents.
The National Archives’ decontamination equipment – Source: National Archives website
The transfer also presents logistical challenges. The 230,000 records currently in the temporary archive must be disinfected and sterilized before transfer, as per the National Archives' protocols. The Archives' low-oxygen pest control chamber can handle 1,500 volumes at once, but each cycle takes more than 10 days—meaning the full process could take approximately four years. Additional sterilization using ethylene oxide gas will also be required. However, an MOHW official said, “The National Archives has suggested that spraying chemicals directly on the records could complete disinfection and sterilization in about a month,” adding that they aim to complete the transfer by early to mid-2026.
Above: Records treatment and disinfection procedures – Source: National Archives
Legal hurdles remain. Under the Special Adoption Act, adoption records fall under the jurisdiction of the MOHW, and the Child Rights Agency (NCRC) is responsible for providing access to this information. The Ministry of the Interior plans to revise a presidential enforcement decree—rather than push a new law through the National Assembly—to allow the National Archives to store records for agencies without proper storage facilities.
Regarding information access services, the Ministry said that Child Rights Agency (NCRC) staff would work on-site at the National Archives’ facility to assist with viewing and providing records, and that the Archives would provide the necessary space.
Meanwhile, the core solution—building a dedicated Adoption Records Center—has yet to gain momentum. Although a 100 million won (~$74,000) feasibility study was conducted in 2023, the Child Rights Agency (NCRC) has requested an additional 200 million won (~$148,000) in next year’s MOHW budget for a second round of research. The final report won’t be available until December 2026, and formal budgeting for design and construction won’t start until 2028. Construction is expected to take four years. The current lease on the temporary Goyang warehouse expires on May 30, 2030. Authorities have not even assessed the volume of adoption records held by local governments or defunct institutions.
Lawmaker Kim said, “The state must take responsibility for properly preserving adoption records, but it has failed to do so until now,” adding, “From now on, there must be thorough preparation to ensure safe storage and management of the records, so access and information services can be provided without issue.”’
Reporter: Dara Won | dara@hankookilbo.com
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See NCRC’s Facebook Post About This Topic Here.
ChatGPT translation of NCRC’s Facebook Post:
"We will safely preserve and manage adoption records through a professional system!"
“On October 10, 2025, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Archives of Korea, and the Korea Child Welfare and Rights Agency (NCRC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Seongnam branch of the National Archives for the safe preservation and management of adoption records.
Adoption records transferred to the Korea Child Welfare and Rights Agency (NCRC) will be safely and systematically preserved through a national-level professional management system.
By preserving adoption records in specialized archival facilities, we will work together to ensure that adoptees can always find their roots!”