- Headline: "More Abandoned Children, Fewer Domestic Adoptions"
- Source: Dong-A Ilbo
- Date of Publication: April 3, 1976
- Summary:
The irresponsible childbirth of unwed mothers continues to increase. Yet, rather than fostering a strong domestic adoption system, we have remained overly reliant on overseas adoptions. It is time to implement bold institutional reforms to prioritize domestic adoption and encourage a nationwide movement of compassion and love. In an effort to promote domestic adoptions, the government has introduced an adoption quota system for adoption agencies, gradually adjusting the ratio of domestic to international adoptions from 1:9 in 1974 to 2:8 in 1975, and now 3:7 in 1976. However, results remain disappointing.
The lack of progress in domestic adoption is attributed to deeply rooted cultural beliefs that emphasize blood ties, as well as legal barriers. Under current laws, an adopted child cannot take the adoptive family’s surname, and if the biological parents later reappear, their parental rights take precedence. To address these issues, the government is preparing the Act on Special Cases Concerning (Domestic) Adoption aimed at removing these obstacles. However, beyond legal revisions, what is truly needed is a collective social commitment to ensuring that Korean children are cared for by Korean families. A spirit of generosity and love must take root within our own communities. Unwed mothers continue to be stigmatized as a social problem, while families in poverty remain neglected by the system. The rise in abandoned and orphaned children appears to be an inevitable outcome within this context.
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