- Headline: [Life] "Adoptee sent overseas by the state is dying... Does it make sense for the government to stand by?"
- Source: Yonhap News
- Date of Publication: March 17, 2025
* Editor’s Note: This interview was planned following the story of Matthieu Sung-Tan Foucaud (birth name: Sung Tan Jang), who was adopted to France as an infant in 1987 and is now facing a life-threatening genetic illness. A related article introducing a letter from his wife was published under the title, "[Life] My husband adopted from Korea is in danger... Please help our family!" This is the first of a three-part interview series addressing adoption issues. The second and third articles will cover the suffering and systemic challenges international adoptees face. |
The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) in Korea says they only know my husband's birth father's name, family name, and either his age or date of birth. They don’t have his resident registration number. They say they cannot locate him with just this information.
But this illness is genetic. For my husband to get the proper genetic testing, we need to know whether there’s any family history of this disease on either his birth mother’s or birth father’s side. That’s the only way he can take part in a clinical trial happening in Paris. There’s no cure for this condition right now, but the trial could help ease his symptoms and maybe give him more time.
I understand that my husband’s birth mother may have moved on and built a new life. I don’t want to ruin that. We also respect that his birth parents might not want to acknowledge his existence. But we really do need to know if this disease runs in their family. We’re out of time. I’m going to lose him. I’ve been crying every single day since last August. Ever since we found out about this terrible illness, I’ve tried everything I can, but nothing is working.
There’s just no time. I may not be able to save him, but I want to help him stay with us a little longer, with less pain, and with dignity.
My husband was abandoned as a baby. You can imagine how hard it is to live your whole life as a Korean adoptee without knowing where you come from. And now, he has to face the fact that he was born with this deadly genetic condition.
Director, we probably can’t go to Seoul. My husband is getting weaker by the day, and it’s just not realistic to travel with our two small children. Is there any way to find out if his birth father is still alive? Can you help us?
The message above was the first one Jinsi Bae, Director of the Montaigne International Adoption Association (MOAA), received in December last year from a French woman named Lauriane Simon (41). Her husband, Matthieu Sung-Tan Foucaud (38, Korean birth name Jang Sung Tan), was born in December 1986 in Iksan (then called Iri), Korea, and was adopted to France via Holt Children’s Services at four months old.
Sung-Tan is believed to suffer from Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI), a rare and deadly genetic disease. His wife emphasizes that to get a definitive diagnosis and participate in treatment trials, genetic information from his birth parents is essential. However, the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) states that under South Korea's Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption, the personal information of birth parents cannot be disclosed without their consent. “Personal information” includes contact details like phone numbers or addresses.
FFI is an extremely rare condition. Since it has no cure, the focus is on alleviating symptoms and ensuring patient comfort. The survival period ranges from 7 months to 6 years, with an average of 18 months. The illness is considered especially challenging because individuals remain cognitively aware as their condition worsens. The probability that children might inherit the condition also calls for early diagnosis and prevention.
Photo Caption: Jinsi Bae (center), Director of MOAA, interviewed by Yonhap News. On the left is Seunghoon Lee, General Secretary of MOAA; on the right is Heejung Kwon, Director of the Unwed Mothers Initiative for Archiving and Advocacy (UMI4AA).
[Photo by Seong-Cheol Jin]
"The state was behind in sending these children abroad. They’re now at risk of dying, why isn’t it doing anything?"
In interviews with Yonhap News on the 12th and 14th, Jinsi Bae (MOAA Director), Seunghoon Lee (MOAA General Secretary), and Heejung Kwon (Director of UMI4AA) voiced their concerns, stating: “The state said it was sending these children abroad to save their lives. Now those children have grown and are dying. How can the government turn a blind eye?” They urged “the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Center for the Rights of the Child to actively step in and resolve the issue.”
Bae, who founded MOAA in January last year, studied philosophy and moved to France in 2005 to pursue a PhD. While teaching Korean there, she met many Korean adoptees. After returning to Korea in 2009, she began working to support adoptees. She now also runs the Montaigne Institute for Humanities and continues her work as a writer and educator.
Seunghoon Lee, MOAA’s General Secretary, runs a traditional medicine clinic. He sets aside time to support adoptees visiting Korea by driving them, helping with paperwork, and accompanying them to specific locations they need to visit. He says he is simply doing what someone has to do.
Heejung Kwon, Director of UMI4AA, served as the founding General Secretary of the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network from 2008 to 2013. She has spent the past 18 years researching and writing about the experiences of unwed mothers, which led to her deeper involvement in adoption and child welfare issues. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the Academy of Korean Studies.
Photo Caption: Montaigne International Adoption Association (MOAA) protesting in front of the National Centerfor the Rights of the Child (NCRC), Jung-gu, Seoul, March 12, 2025 [Photo provided by MOAA]
Note: The Korean version of this article includes Q&A interviews conducted by Yonhap News with Jinsi Bae, Seunghoon Lee, and Heejung Kwon. The English version provided by UMI4AA is a summarized translation and does not include the full interview transcripts.
Q: Why does the National Center for the Rights of the Child claim it cannot provide information about Sung Tan's birth parents? ▲ Jin-si Bae: Article 36, Paragraph 2 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption states that if the birth parents do not consent, their personal information, such as address or phone number, cannot be disclosed to the adoptee.
Q: Is the NCRC's explanation legitimate? ▲ Heejung Kwon: Article 36, Paragraph 3 of the same law states that "[where] natural parents die or cannot give consent due to other grounds, if the information on adoption is required for a medical treatment of the adopted person or if exceptional circumstances arise, such information may be disclosed irrespective of whether the consent of the natural parents is obtained.” In Sung Tan’s case, the law can be interpreted to allow disclosure of the information for medical reasons.
Q: Is the NCRC interpreting "due to other grounds" as being limited to circumstances equivalent to death, and therefore ruling out Sung Tan’s case? ▲ Seung-hoon Lee: That’s correct. Some legal professionals support the NCRC’s interpretation. However, it’s difficult to accept that position. Even if the NCRC chooses not to disclose the information, shouldn’t it take proactive steps to support Sung Tan in other ways?
Q: What do you mean by that? ▲ Kwon: Sung Tan's adoption was facilitated by the government. Sung Tan’s adoption was facilitated by the government. Now that the adoptee is grown and facing a life-threatening situation, the government has a humanitarian responsibility to act. The law should be interpreted with the adoptee’s perspective in mind. Article 1 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption clearly states that “[the] purpose of this Act is to [contribute] to the promotion of the rights, interests and welfare of the children to be adopted.”
Q: Is the NCRC currently making any effort? ▲ Lee: They appear to be making another attempt to contact the birth parents, but no concrete results have emerged. It’s regrettable. Had they taken active steps since last August, it could have made a meaningful difference for Sung Tan. His health has since declined dramatically—he can now barely communicate with his wife.
Q: Should the current system be reformed? ▲ Kwon: There needs to be a legal framework to determine procedures when birth parents refuse to disclose information. Operational guidelines must be established for such cases. None currently exist. Even if an adoptee appears to be doing well, withholding birth parent information is a serious violation of the child’s rights.
Q: Is a legal amendment necessary? ▲ Lee: A senior official at the NCRC has stated they are considering pushing for a revision to the Act. For example, in cases like Sung Tan’s, the decision to disclose birth parent information could be entrusted to the judiciary. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Assembly must advance this with careful deliberation
Q: Forcing disclosure of birth parent information could seriously impact their lives. ▲ Kwon: Indeed, non-consensual family searches can deeply affect birth parents, especially in closed adoptions. However, adoptees have the right to know their origins. The right to identity is a fundamental human right from birth. Courts should be able to carefully review each case and decide when an adoptee’s right to know outweighs the birth parents’ right to privacy. There should also be a protocol for contacting and counseling birth parents while ensuring confidentiality. Staff training in this area is also necessary.
Q: How is this issue handled in other countries? ▲ Kwon: There’s a growing global trend toward prioritizing adoptee rights over birth parent confidentiality. The UK, for instance, amended its Children Act in 1975 to allow adoptees to access birth records at age 18. In the U.S. and Canada, practices vary by state or province, but access to such information is increasingly granted. The United Nations has also affirmed the child’s right to know their birth parents.
Q: You mentioned that Sung Tan is no longer able to communicate. Could you share his most recent message? ▲ Bae: According to his wife, Lauriane, during a brief moment when he could still speak, he said: “I hope my case opens a path for others, so they can receive information during critical times in their lives like mine. I hope the right to life is upheld. I hope access to health-related information is guaranteed.”
Keun-Young Yun, Yonhap News reporter (keunyoung@yna.co.kr)
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