Robert Calabretta felt like a newborn as he descended into Seoul to meet his birth parents for the first time since he was 3 days old. A tear ran down his cheek as he learned that his adoption paperwork was based on a lie, and his parents had been told he was very sick and believed he had died. This revelation is part of a larger investigation led by The Associated Press that found evidence of questionable and unethical practices in South Korea’s international adoption system, involving the supply of over 200,000 Korean children to parents overseas. The investigation uncovered stories of children being kidnapped, parents being deceived, documents being fabricated, and babies being sent abroad under false pretenses.
The adoption industry in South Korea grew out of the aftermath of the Korean War and continued to operate without proper regulations, resulting in an unscrupulous baby pipeline that supplied children, often with known relatives, to Western countries. The investigation involved interviews with adoptees, parents, agency workers, and government officials, leading to a reckoning that is currently shaking the international adoption industry. Documents show that agencies paid hospitals for babies, fabricated identities, and prioritized Western demand over the welfare of children and their families in South Korea.
Individuals like Robert Calabretta have joined a network of adult adoptees searching for their roots and seeking accountability for past practices that have caused lifelong trauma and identity crises. The investigation also found that the vast majority of adoptions may have ended well, but unreliable documents make it challenging for adoptees to find their birth families and learn the truth. The South Korean government has initiated a fact-finding commission in response to pressure from adoptees, and ongoing investigations in Europe are leading to changes in international adoption policies.
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