Why were so many kids adopted from Korea in the late 70's?

Question

I'm adopted and I've met a ton of fellow Korean's adopted around the same time as I was. Was there a specific reason for this?

Answer 1

I'm Korean, and somehow it always embarasses me to see adopted Koreans. Not because they themselves are embarassing (of course not!) but because I'm embarassed for Korea sending so many kids away from their parents, and for the parents to send their own kids away...

Anyway, that's my personal spiel on it. I feel like I have to personally apologize...

From what I know, the late 70's was a time of great poverty for Korea. The Korean war ended in the 1950's, kids who had grown up in that era now had no money to support their own children. It was common for two-children (or more) households to send away one child to adoption.

Not only families, but there were many orphans because of the Korean War. Foreign religious organizations made it their mission to send the orphans to better lives overseas, or what was seen then as better lives.

As you may know, the U.S. was a common country for Korean children to be held up for adoption. The U.S. was seen as a haven/heaven for kids to be sent to, a better life than the poverty-stricken one in Korea. Especially for children born not into families but single mothers, and children born out of wedlock.

However, even now, many Korean children are put up for adoption. Why? Korea has the 11th or so largest economy in the world. But it's culture/society still doesn't support single mothers, especially with children born out of wedlock.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

What the above said, and because when a married couple divorce, the father gets custody of the children.
The father generally being the sole bread winner, cant take time off to look after his kid, and therefore puts them in orphanages.
Maybe that just happens more these days.

There is alot of stigma attached to adoption in any country, but I think that in most cases the children definately do have a better chance at a better life, however difficult it is to come to terms with. I hope you have had a nice life.

One thing I noticed when watching the tv programmes on adopted Koreans coming back to find their families, or visa versa is that often the mothers and grandparents, had no say on whether the child should be adopted, and are lost from each other for many many years. It always makes me cry seeing the reunited families.

Answer 3

Up until the 80's huge amounts of Korean girls were sent out for adoption. The number went down because Korea was embarrassed by how high the number of adoptees were leaving the country was. There is a very strict limit to the number of kids that can be adopted by foreign parents, even tho there are still lots of kids and parents, like yours, who would love to be able to take the child into their homes and give her the love she needs.

Answer 4

Read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_adoption_of_South_Korean_children