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Wednesday, November 23, 2005, members of the adoptee community residing in Korea attended a public hearing at
the National Assembly. The hearing was organized by Congressmen Choi Jae-Chun and Kim Choon-Jin. Five members
of ASK attended the hearing and participated in the question and answer session in the concluding moments.
Adoptees Jane Jeong Trenka (U.S.), Mihee-Nathalie Lemoine (Belgium), and Kim Dae-Won - (Switzerland) spoke
during the first half of the hearing. Post-adoption issues that were stressed were dual citizenship, financial support from
the Korean government for language study, employment opportunities, affordable housing and medical care, a
permanent adoptee artists gallery and resource library, and a neutral adoptee search data center with adoption records
translated into the adoptee’s primary language. There was also a general message to the Korean government to take
responsibility for how international adoptees have been and are treated and to keep their word to end international
adoption from Korea within the next five years.
The second portion of the hearing began with a screening of a recent episode of “Happy Sunday,” the KBS program
which televises reunions between adoptees and their birth families. An American adoptee and a French adoptee were
featured.
Korean nationals Kim Do-Hyun of Koroot, Hong Seung-Joon of Anti-Baby Export, and Han Yeon-Hee of MPAK presented
in the second half. Similar issues as those raised in the first part of the presentation were discussed.
During the conclusion of the hearing, adoptees in the audience were given the opportunity to question or comment
on the presentations. Issues that were noted were the agencies’ unwillingness to be open about their financial records
and for Koreans to acknowledge that they did indeed make a choice in sending thousands of Korean children away. In
addition, concern was voiced that promotion of domestic adoption should not overshadow the imminent need to support
unmarried mothers to raise their own children.
Over 40 adoptees attended the hearing, representing the U.S., the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Switzerland, and
Belgium. Another 20 Korean nationals attended, including politicians and adoption workers.
