This is an open letter to President Yoon Suk-yeol to urge him to make more efforts to help orphans and vulnerable children enjoy their basic right to a family. ― ED.
By Sarah Koh, Steve Morrison
Dear Mr. President,
We write to you seeking to highlight the situation affecting the happiness of the nearly 30,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Korea, who are growing up in welfare homes without a family to care for them.
Child abandonment in Korea occurs for a number of reasons, one of which is the strong stigma against single mothers and their fear of social discrimination. As a result, the majority of these mothers feel compelled to give up their infants in secret.
Fearing to register their babies, these children are thus denied their human right to a normal identity in Korean society. This lack of registration also prevents them from being raised by adoptive parents domestically or internationally, and makes it difficult to find their birth mothers if they would like to do so later.
Another critical problem is the lack of foster and adoptive families who are willing to open their homes and hearts to children who have been abandoned. Subsequent to the change in adoption laws in 2012, the number of adoptions domestically and internationally was drastically reduced.
In addition, less than 900 families in South Korea are registered presently to be foster families. Tragically, without laws that support and promote adoption and foster care, and without public awareness and willingness to adopt and foster, the number of children who must live in welfare homes ― instead of in a family setting ― continues to increase.
When students age-out of welfare facilities, these teenagers, barely adults, find it difficult to integrate into mainstream society. Although they receive a monetary grant from the government, there is little to no guidance or support that accompanies the grant, making it extremely difficult to succeed as they struggle to pursue education or work on their own.
According to Park Myung-hee, welfare home director at LifeTK.org, "the most important factor in determining whether a welfare home student will succeed or fail in independent living is having one responsible caring adult consistently in their life." Sadly, few individuals are willing to be that person.
Every individual in society is of equal worth, regardless of their family background. There should be no shame in growing up in a welfare home. Children do not choose their parents nor where they will be raised. However, as long as society judges children by their bloodline, they will continue to face almost an insurmountable struggle to succeed.
Korea is a country that has experienced rapid growth and has become a world leader in many fronts. The time has come for Korea to lead in social issues as well, ensuring that all of its citizens ― including orphans and vulnerable children ― are able to fully exercise their human rights in this great country.
Michael Gove, Bill Clinton, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, Nelson Mandela, Babe Ruth, Michael Bay, Truman Capote, Steve Jobs, Faith Hill, Edgar Allan Poe, Eleanor Roosevelt … these are just a few of the prominent people who were adopted or taken care of by someone other than their birth parents.
According to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child ― ratified by Korea on Nov. 20, 1990 ― all children have the right to a family. This right allows children to be connected to their own history, and it offers a protective perimeter against a violation of their rights.
The convention states clearly that children have their own rights as individuals and human beings to grow, learn, play, and develop with dignity.
The plight of orphans and vulnerable children in Korea is a complex issue that needs to be dealt with on a variety of levels. Promoting domestic adoption and foster care is a significant part of the solution.
However, until Korean society can overcome its historical prejudices against orphans and lovingly welcome these children into their own families, international adoption should remain a viable alternative.
We call on you to join us in working together to make the necessary changes in legislation and societal attitudes so that these precious children will be able to fully exercise this most basic of human rights ― the right to a family.
Sincerely,
Sarah Koh, Steve Morrison
Co-signed by:
Choi Sang-kyoo, representative of Good Haven
Julie Duvall, co-founder of Love Beyond the Orphanage
Oh Chang-wha, chief representative of Korean Adoptive Families Association
Pastor Whang Joo, representative of You Are Not Alone (YANA), U.S.
Pastor Lee Jong-rak, chairman of Jusarang Community Foundation (Baby Box)
Kim Sung-min, founder of Brother's Keeper/Breath Keeper
Brother James Sin, assistant general of Kkottongnae Brothers of Jejus
Sarah Koh is an adoptive parent and founder and director of LifeTogether (lifetk.org). Koh has worked as an English professor, refugee program coordinator, and teacher trainer in several countries around the world. Steve Morrison is an adoptee and founder and president of Mission to Promote Adoption of Kids (MPAK) (https://www.mpak.com). Morrison worked in the space industry for 42 years before retiring in 2021.
By Sarah Koh, Steve Morrison
 |
| Sarah Koh |
 |
| Steve Morrison |
We write to you seeking to highlight the situation affecting the happiness of the nearly 30,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Korea, who are growing up in welfare homes without a family to care for them.
Child abandonment in Korea occurs for a number of reasons, one of which is the strong stigma against single mothers and their fear of social discrimination. As a result, the majority of these mothers feel compelled to give up their infants in secret.
Fearing to register their babies, these children are thus denied their human right to a normal identity in Korean society. This lack of registration also prevents them from being raised by adoptive parents domestically or internationally, and makes it difficult to find their birth mothers if they would like to do so later.
Another critical problem is the lack of foster and adoptive families who are willing to open their homes and hearts to children who have been abandoned. Subsequent to the change in adoption laws in 2012, the number of adoptions domestically and internationally was drastically reduced.
In addition, less than 900 families in South Korea are registered presently to be foster families. Tragically, without laws that support and promote adoption and foster care, and without public awareness and willingness to adopt and foster, the number of children who must live in welfare homes ― instead of in a family setting ― continues to increase.
When students age-out of welfare facilities, these teenagers, barely adults, find it difficult to integrate into mainstream society. Although they receive a monetary grant from the government, there is little to no guidance or support that accompanies the grant, making it extremely difficult to succeed as they struggle to pursue education or work on their own.
According to Park Myung-hee, welfare home director at LifeTK.org, "the most important factor in determining whether a welfare home student will succeed or fail in independent living is having one responsible caring adult consistently in their life." Sadly, few individuals are willing to be that person.
Every individual in society is of equal worth, regardless of their family background. There should be no shame in growing up in a welfare home. Children do not choose their parents nor where they will be raised. However, as long as society judges children by their bloodline, they will continue to face almost an insurmountable struggle to succeed.
Korea is a country that has experienced rapid growth and has become a world leader in many fronts. The time has come for Korea to lead in social issues as well, ensuring that all of its citizens ― including orphans and vulnerable children ― are able to fully exercise their human rights in this great country.
Michael Gove, Bill Clinton, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, Nelson Mandela, Babe Ruth, Michael Bay, Truman Capote, Steve Jobs, Faith Hill, Edgar Allan Poe, Eleanor Roosevelt … these are just a few of the prominent people who were adopted or taken care of by someone other than their birth parents.
According to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child ― ratified by Korea on Nov. 20, 1990 ― all children have the right to a family. This right allows children to be connected to their own history, and it offers a protective perimeter against a violation of their rights.
The convention states clearly that children have their own rights as individuals and human beings to grow, learn, play, and develop with dignity.
The plight of orphans and vulnerable children in Korea is a complex issue that needs to be dealt with on a variety of levels. Promoting domestic adoption and foster care is a significant part of the solution.
However, until Korean society can overcome its historical prejudices against orphans and lovingly welcome these children into their own families, international adoption should remain a viable alternative.
We call on you to join us in working together to make the necessary changes in legislation and societal attitudes so that these precious children will be able to fully exercise this most basic of human rights ― the right to a family.
Sincerely,
Sarah Koh, Steve Morrison
Co-signed by:
Choi Sang-kyoo, representative of Good Haven
Julie Duvall, co-founder of Love Beyond the Orphanage
Oh Chang-wha, chief representative of Korean Adoptive Families Association
Pastor Whang Joo, representative of You Are Not Alone (YANA), U.S.
Pastor Lee Jong-rak, chairman of Jusarang Community Foundation (Baby Box)
Kim Sung-min, founder of Brother's Keeper/Breath Keeper
Brother James Sin, assistant general of Kkottongnae Brothers of Jejus
Sarah Koh is an adoptive parent and founder and director of LifeTogether (lifetk.org). Koh has worked as an English professor, refugee program coordinator, and teacher trainer in several countries around the world. Steve Morrison is an adoptee and founder and president of Mission to Promote Adoption of Kids (MPAK) (https://www.mpak.com). Morrison worked in the space industry for 42 years before retiring in 2021.
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