Gender Review (summer 2009), Korean Women’s Development institute

Indifference to single mother families and international adoption

Mi-Jeong Lee

Research Fellow at Korean Women’s Development Institute

As the criticism of international adoption increases at home and abroad, our society is showing interest in policies to activate domestic adoption and in child welfare that does not rely on international adoption, as the alternative plans. Up to now, the principle policy alternative for international adoption is the activation of domestic adoption.

Though most mothers of children who were adopted in foreign countries – the number was the largest in the world- were single mothers, they have not been a subject of discussion over problems of international adoption and reduction measures.
Adoption should be considered only when a child is cannot be fostered and protected by its real parents, however our society has paid no attention to find ways to support the real mothers to bring up their children, not forsaking them. In the meantime, thanks to this lack of support for single mothers, international adoption has been continued; on the other hand, the government is
conducting childbirth campaigns (Sam-Dol Lee, 2008)

Single mother and their children have been left behind our society. Adoption gives the real mothers anguish and guilt feelings that worry them for their entire lives and adopted children heavy tasks of finding the roots and their identity. This study will review the history and current status related to adoption of Korean children and will advocate that single mother support policies should be promoted as an alternative for international adoption, prior to activating domestic adoption.

For more details, please see the file --> 091130_LeeMJ_Indifference_single_mother.pdf