39page

39 tion in her file. “I think (KAS) uses the Special Adoption Law as a way to cover inconsisten- cies in their files and record keeping,” says Ishida. Hanna Johansson, a Swedish adoptee, had a similar experience. “This is my fourth trip back to Korea and every time I come back here, I get more information,” she says. “When I visited SWS in 2010, they showed me all my adoption papers, my whole adop- tion file.” But when she returned in 2013, she was told that because of the Special Adop- tion Law, she could not access the same file. Without the help of nonprofit agencies, Jo- hansson couldn’t have found out further in- formation. “It’s sad that adoptees who want to reunite have to depend on volunteer work,” she says. After years of struggling to gain access to her records, in 2010 Johansson was final- ly able to visit the address where she was abandoned. “SWS has had this address since 1976 but only revealed it to me in 2010,” she says. In 2013, she met the policeman who found her (his name had also been withheld until then), and she also managed to contact a distant relative with a DNA match. “Even though we are sixth cousins, she is the first blood relative I have ever met.” The inconsistency in record-keeping, along with the falsified records, is another stumbling block for adoptees. Many countries require certain paperwork in order for a child to be eligible for adoption, such as proof that the child is an orphan. As most adoptees are not orphans, this paperwork was often invented by adoption agencies. This was the case for Laura Klunder, who works with KoRoot and Adoptee Solidarity Korea. “Rather than being documented at birth as a member of my family, I was docu- mented by a social worker as an orphan with no parents,” she explains. This can make tracing birth families very difficult. In addition, the births of adoptees tended to go unregistered because, until recently, birth registration was legally required but not en- forced. Had the births of all adoptees been registered in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the success rate of birth family searches would undoubt- edly be higher, says Klunder. “For many adop- tees, birth registration is fundamental to the success of our search process because at the very least, it records our date of birth. Many adoptees don’t even know their birthdays, and therefore cannot even begin the search for their first family.” Wachs returned to Korea this year for the first time to find that her records were falsi- fied. She initially thought her search was go- ing well, as ESWS had a record containing her biological parents’ full names, date and city of birth, how many people were in her family and even descriptions of their personal- ity. But before leaving for Korea, she received devastating news. “KAS found my mother left a fake ID and they have no info on her. In talking with other adoptees, I learned that many mothers made false identities to protect themselves.” making conTacT If all documents are in order and there is identifying information in the adoption records, KAS is obligated to contact the birth family to request the release of such information. Even so close to the answers, the search often ends in failure. “Although we succeed in locating birth par- ents,” says Yun, “there are lots of cases in which the birth parents do not respond.” Yun says that is the most difficult part of her job. “I feel frustrated when I am not able to locate birth parents and when birth parents don’t re- spond to the mail that I sent for getting their consent (to release personal information). It is very difficult for me to tell adoptees about the result.” KAS’ official means of communication is by telegram, which is sent to the listed address citing only the adoptee’s foreign name. This can result in a very confusing message. Without consent from the birth family, KAS cannot legally give the adoptee the birth mother’s name or address. “There are also some difficulties in how to balance between the rights of adoptees to their roots and the rights of birth parents to their privacy,” says Yun. Heit of KUMFA argues that this doesn’t respect adoptees’ rights. “I personally think that an adoptee has a right to all of their infor- mation,” she says. Even today, there is no system for confirm- ing the receipt of these letters. Adoptees see the biggest problem with the Special Adoption Law as being the lack of im- plementation. “The law is already good, but they are just not implementing it,” says Tren- ka. “Sometimes there really isn’t much infor- mation (on record). Technically, according to the law, this real lack of original information in some cases should be the only stumbling block now.” Little has changed since 2012, as the ministry claims to be under-budgeted, Trenka says. KAS may be struggling due to a lack of funding, but adoption agencies are still sub- sidized by the government. So while the gov- ernment has promised to prioritize post-adop- tion services, for many this has amounted to lip service. “The Ministry of Health and Welfare created KAS and all its predecessors, and post-adoption services in general, as a public edifice to say they are accommodating adoption-related concerns,” Leith says. The lasT resorT Adoptees who have left KAS and the agen- cies empty-handed often turn to the mass media. Ishida appeared on a TV show early this year, a last resort for many adoptees who endure being a form of entertainment in the hopes that it will aid their search. According to KBS, the success rate of those who go on TV is about 50 percent, which makes it a better option than relying on KAS. Last year Ishida organized events to put up “Missing” posters bearing her face and Korean name, in the neighborhood where she was abandoned. Although she thinks it’s “highly ineffective,” she wanted to take control of her search. “And it really was cathartic,” she says. Ishida left Korea early this year, and has stopped actively searching for her mother. Although she found the search painful and at times embarrassing, she exhausted all options. “I took action and I tried. That’s my result.” ‘an adoptee has a right to all of their information and the parent has the right to refuse to meet them. but access to one’s oWn personal information is an inalienable right.’ Shannon Heit MorE INFo j Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ham Myung Nan (함명난), or with any information that may aid Sarah Ishida, Suki Leith, Hanna Johansson or Laura Wachs in their searches can contact the editors of Groove Korea. Local groups for adoptee and single mothers rights and services Global overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.o.A.’L) Website: www.goal.or.kr Koroot Website: www.koroot.org Adoptee Solidarity Korea (ASK) Website: www.adopteesolidarity.org Truth and reconciliation for the Adoption Community of Korea (TrACK) Website: www.adoptionjustice.com Korean Unwed Mothers Families Association Website: www.kumfa.or.kr