• Headline: "Foreigners Sweating in the Shadows (Ep. 7): Mr. Byma, Counselor for Unwed Mothers"
• Source: Dong-A Ilbo
• Date of Publication: November 29, 1972
• Summary: 

Sidney Byma, a 31-year-old social worker from Canada, arrived in Korea three years ago after seeing a call for unwed mother counseling specialists from the Christian Reformed Church. Serving as the head of the Christian Adoption Program of Korea (CAPOK) in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo District, Seoul has dedicated the past two and a half years to training local Korean staff in applying social welfare principles and knowledge to directly counsel and support unwed mothers. 

"I believe it is far better for a child to be adopted by another family than to be abandoned on the street. When separation is inevitable, helping the mother part well is the best path to happiness for both the mother and the baby," says Byma. 

CAPOK encourages unwed mothers to engage in counseling during pregnancy to ensure healthy deliveries and, when mothers cannot raise their children, arranges domestic adoptions. 

Describing his role as "a painful job of persuading mothers to part well," Byma takes on the task of helping unwed mothers move forward, guiding them to focus on building a future beyond their connection to their children.

• Archiving Note:  

The early 1970s marked a pivotal period in the development of Korea’s adoption system for children of unwed mothers. Around 1970, Sidney Byma, representing the Canadian branch of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, arrived in Korea to contribute to these efforts. His arrival preceded the 1971 departure of Elvinah Spoelstra, who had been affiliated with the U.S. Christian Reformed World Relief Committee and played a significant role at CAPOK. Byma implemented counselor training programs for the domestic adoption of children born to unwed mothers and spearheaded social welfare initiatives focused on unwed mothers and adoption. This targeted intervention yielded a marked increase in domestic adoptions: while 1,163 children born to unwed mothers were adopted in the 1960s, the 1970s saw that number surge to 9,075 (Kwon, 2019, p. 29). 

Reference: 

Kwon, Hee Jung. The Birth of Unwed Mothers: The History of Exiled Mothers (unofficial translation). Antonia’s Books, 2019.

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