First lady's attendance at adoptees' gathering offers comfort, visibility, but will it bring real change?

More than 600 Korean-born adoptees gathered in Seoul for the International Korean Adoptee Associations Gathering, where first lady Kim Hea Kyung made the first appearance by a Korean first lady at the event on Oct. 19. Attendees welcomed the visibility but questioned whether it would lead to concrete reforms after President Lee Jae Myung’s apology and pledge earlier this year. An open letter signed by a majority of 56 adoptees whose cases the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recognized calls for six measures, including access to records, citizenship restoration and long-term support. The gathering and letter reflect adoptees’ calls for accountability and a role in shaping policies that affect them.

The triennial gathering ran from Oct. 19 to 24 and included discussions of citizenship, long-term residency, birth-family searches, DNA testing, adoption transparency and legal proceedings.

The open letter was sent on Oct. 19 through an online portal to the presidential office, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.

The letter calls for unredacted adoption and family records, ways to correct inaccurate records, expanded access to national DNA databases and a government-funded DNA collection campaign.

Other proposals include a government-funded support agency, restoration of Korean citizenship without fees or unnecessary administrative obstacles, and legal pathways to reclaim original identities and family ties.

The final proposal is an independent, publicly funded national research and memorial center to preserve adoption records, document testimonies and support historical research.

Published Oct 27, 2026 9:30 am KST

Letter to president requests restoring adoptees' rights, strengthening government accountability, providing long-term support

First lady Kim Hea Kyung, front row center in white, sits with Korean adoptees during the opening ceremony of the International Korean Adoptee Associations Gathering at Coex, Seoul, Oct. 19. Yonhap

More than 600 Korean-born adoptees came from countries around the world to visit the nation of their birth, for the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) Gathering, Oct. 19-24.

The Oct. 19 opening ceremony for this year's event featured a historic appearance by first lady Kim Hea Kyung, marking the first time a Korean first lady has attended the gathering. Her visit also marked the third occasion that adoption-related issues have been publicly addressed during President Lee Jae Myung's administration.

For many attendees, the gesture was meaningful, but it was also met with cautious optimism and lingering frustration.

The triennial IKAA Gathering goes far beyond heritage tourism or giving participants opportunities to reconnect with their roots. It serves as a platform for collective advocacy, bringing together grassroots organizers, legal experts, scholars and adoptees to address longstanding systemic issues.

Discussions range from reclaiming citizenship and navigating long-term residency in Korea to birth family searches, DNA testing and calls for greater transparency in adoption practices. The gathering also provides space to examine ongoing legal proceedings and findings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), particularly their implications for adoptees seeking accountability. IKAA emerged not simply from a desire for cultural connection, but from a community’s need for answers to questions that aren’t being met systematically, and that agencies, governments and other institutions had long left unresolved.

For AD Herzel, a Korean adoptee raised in the United States, the gathering offers both personal and collective opportunities for healing and advocacy.

Herzel, who traveled to Korea with her now-adult son, facilitated a workshop focused on art-based healing practices. Beyond sharing these approaches, she values the opportunity to engage with fellow adoptees about recent TRC findings and documentary investigations that have exposed alleged misconduct, inadequate oversight and systemic failures during the height of Korea's overseas adoption industry and how to further advocate for adoptees after the wake of these findings.

Reflecting on the first lady's attendance, Herzel acknowledged the significance of the gesture.

"It is important for visibility and to be welcomed," she said.

Yet, for Herzel and other adoptees, the appearance also represented a missed opportunity.

Despite the warm reception, many attendees and other adoptees who followed news of the visit from overseas were left questioning whether symbolic recognition would lead to meaningful policy changes.

Earlier this year, Lee publicly apologized and pledged to develop stronger measures to address past abuses.

However, adoptees say they have yet to see concrete policy changes, publicly announced reforms or clear evidence of progress from government agencies.

Their skepticism is also rooted in history. Previous administrations have also issued apologies and acknowledged the violation of adoptees' rights, but advocates argue that these gestures rarely lead to lasting legal protections, institutional accountability or meaningful support.

For many gathered at IKAA, the question is no longer whether the Korean government recognizes their experiences, but whether that recognition will finally lead to action.

Letter calls for concrete measures

While the events of IKAA drew considerable attention, another effort was unfolding away from the cameras.

On Oct. 19, an open letter was sent to the presidential office via an online portal, as well as to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, calling for concrete measures to address past adoption-related human rights violations that were verified through the TRC.

The letter was signed by a majority of the 56 adoptees whose cases were recognized by the TRC.

Anders Riel Müller, one of the 56 adoptees and who helped draft the letter, noted that the letter being delivered now and the timing of the IKAA event wasn’t originally planned but that it took time to find the other adoptees and collectively draft the letter.

Anders Riel Müller / Courtesy of Anders Riel Müller

Despite the TRC's findings, official recognition has not necessarily brought adoptees closer to justice or closure, and many have seen few avenues for formal collective redress, leaving them stuck in a legal quagmire with limited recourses to pursue accountability.

This fueled Müller to write the initial draft of the open letter advocating for stronger measures and support for the broader adoptee community. His own case reflects systemic failures that affected not only his life but also that of the birth family he eventually located. Although Müller voluntarily submitted information to the TRC, he remained skeptical from the outset that its findings would lead to substantial reforms.

"I was more ambivalent to see if this will actually lead to anything," he said. In his view, the commission succeeded in documenting past injustices but fell short of outlining concrete steps toward accountability, legal remedies and institutional reform.

However, he wanted to do it for the sake of documentation and visibility. “There are some good things that has come from it (TRC). Adoptees aren’t seen as a part of Korean history, but now we are. We’re children of authoritarianism and dictatorship and this is to make sure we can be 'seen' as part of Korean history,” he said.

Despite the TRC receiving approval to continue its investigations, Müller remains critical of the framework used to examine adoptees' cases.

Under the commission's investigative requirements, adoptees must provide a baseline of verifiable information before their cases can proceed. Yet for many adoptees and their Korean birth families in search of answers, obtaining reliable records remains one of their greatest obstacles.

Müller and many advocates argue that the absence of documentation should itself raise questions worthy of investigation, rather than serve as a barrier to accessing it.

He also questions the credibility of adoption records, given that the possibility of false information is greater. Many adoptees' records state that they were abandoned at police stations, hospitals or other public institutions, particularly during the peak years of overseas adoption. Such accounts, he argues, should be scrutinized independently rather than accepted without further examination. This is vital to him and many others, especially given the scale of overseas adoptions and the documented irregularities in adoption records. It has become so common that the story of an adoptee being left at a doorstep is almost a cliche or an inside joke in adoptee communities.

For Müller, the central contradiction is clear: Adoptees are being asked to provide evidence from a system whose recordkeeping practices have already been called into question by the TRC's findings.

The open letter seeks to address these systemic barriers through six proposals aimed at restoring adoptees' rights, strengthening government accountability and providing long-term support.

Among its central demands is full access to adoption and family records, including unredacted documents that could help adoptees establish their identities and trace their origins. The letter also calls for mechanisms to correct falsified or inaccurate records and expanded access to national DNA databases, alongside a government-funded DNA collection campaign to reunite separated families.

Beyond access to information, the signatories are seeking structural reforms to address the challenges many adoptees face when returning to Korea.

These include establishing a government-funded national support agency offering birth family search assistance, translation, Korean language education, legal and housing support, mental health services and cultural reintegration programs.

The letter also calls for the restoration of Korean citizenship without fees or unnecessary administrative obstacles, along with legal pathways for adoptees to reclaim their original identities, family registrations and family ties.

Recognizing that adoptees have historically had limited influence over policies affecting their lives, the letter urges the government to include adoptees and affected Korean families directly in decisions concerning citizenship, family reunification, reparations and other restorative measures.

Its final proposal calls for an independent, publicly funded national research and memorial center to preserve adoption records, document personal testimonies, support historical research and acknowledge the experiences of adoptees and their birth families.

Taken together, the proposals reflect a broader demand for institutional changes that extend beyond official apologies and acknowledgments of past wrongdoing.

Adoptees pose together during a gathering event in Seoul. From left are Amy Stoll, Kim Pike, Jenna Lee Kim, Jillian Garden, Lisa Meyers and Tom Stoll. Courtesy of Jenna Lee Kim

The open letter and strong feelings from adoptees show a sharp contrast with the IKAA Gathering opening ceremony. While the first lady's attendance offered a public gesture of recognition, the open letter and press conference present specific requests for how that recognition could translate into government action.

For adoptees gathered in Seoul and those following developments from abroad, these reflect an ongoing struggle for recognition, accountability and a meaningful role in shaping the policies that affect their lives. All adoptees agree, however, that real dialogue and real actions are needed so that adoptees can “grow closer to the homeland.”

Antonia Giordano is a freelance photographer and writer based in Seoul. An adoptee, Antonia deeply understands and connects with the issues surrounding adoption and post-adoption. Visit giordanoantonia.myportfolio.com and follow @antonia_creative_services on Instagram .

10月19日，600多名韩国出生的被收养者齐聚首尔，参加国际韩国收养者协会大会。韩国第一夫人金喜京首次以韩国第一夫人的身份出席了此次活动。与会者对此次大会的公开亮相表示欢迎，但也质疑在李在明总统今年早些时候就收养问题道歉并做出承诺之后，此次大会是否能够带来实质性的改革。56名被真相与和解委员会认定收养的被收养者联名签署了一封公开信，呼吁采取六项措施，包括查阅收养记录、恢复公民身份和提供长期支持。此次大会和公开信反映了被收养者要求追究责任并参与制定影响自身政策的诉求。

三年一度的聚会于 10 月 19 日至 24 日举行，讨论内容包括公民身份、长期居住权、寻找亲生家庭、DNA 检测、收养透明度和法律程序。

这封公开信于 10 月 19 日通过在线门户网站发送给了总统府、卫生福利部和国会卫生福利委员会。

信中呼吁公开未经删减的收养和家庭记录，提出纠正不准确记录的方法，扩大对国家 DNA 数据库的访问，并开展政府资助的 DNA 采集活动。

其他提议包括设立政府资助的支持机构，在不收取费用或设置不必要的行政障碍的情况下恢复韩国公民身份，以及通过法律途径恢复原有身份和家庭关系。

最终方案是建立一个独立的、由公共资金资助的国家研究和纪念中心，以保存收养记录、记录证词并支持历史研究。

发布于2026年10月27日上午9:30（韩国标准时间）

致总统的信函要求恢复被收养者的权利，加强政府问责制，并提供长期支持

10月19日，韩国第一夫人金惠京（身着白色服装，位于前排中间）在首尔COEX会展中心举行的国际韩国收养者协会大会开幕式上与韩国收养者们同坐。（韩联社）

10 月 19 日至 24 日，600 多名来自世界各地的韩国出生的被收养者回到他们的出生国，参加国际韩国收养者协会 (IKAA) 聚会。

10月19日举行的今年活动开幕式上，韩国第一夫人金喜京历史性地出席，这是韩国第一夫人首次参加该活动。她的到访也是李在明总统执政期间，第三次公开讨论收养相关议题。

对于许多与会者来说，这一举动意义非凡，但也引发了谨慎的乐观和挥之不去的沮丧。

每三年举办一次的IKAA聚会远不止是文化遗产旅游或为参与者提供寻根的机会。它更是一个集体倡导的平台，汇聚了基层组织者、法律专家、学者和被收养者，共同探讨长期存在的系统性问题。

讨论内容涵盖了从重新获得公民身份、在韩国长期居住到寻找亲生家庭、DNA检测以及呼吁提高收养程序透明度等诸多方面。此次聚会也为探讨正在进行的法律程序和真相与和解委员会（TRC）的调查结果提供了空间，尤其关注这些结果对寻求问责的被收养者的影响。IKAA的成立并非仅仅源于对文化联结的渴望，而是源于一个群体迫切需要解答那些长期以来被机构、政府和其他组织搁置、未能得到系统性回应的问题。

对于在美国长大的韩裔被收养者 AD Herzel 来说，这次聚会既提供了个人疗愈的机会，也提供了集体倡导的机会。

赫泽尔曾带着她现在已成年的儿子前往韩国，主持了一场以艺术疗愈为主题的工作坊。除了分享这些方法之外，她还珍视与被收养者们交流的机会，探讨真相与和解委员会（TRC）近期公布的调查结果和纪录片调查。这些调查揭露了韩国海外收养产业鼎盛时期存在的涉嫌不当行为、监管不力以及系统性缺陷，并探讨了在这些调查结果公布后，如何更好地维护被收养者的权益。

谈及第一夫人的出席，赫泽尔承认这一举动意义重大。

“这很重要，因为它能提高知名度，也能让人感到受欢迎，”她说。

然而，对于赫泽尔和其他被收养的孩子来说，这次露面也代表着一次错失的机会。

尽管受到了热烈欢迎，但许多与会者和从海外关注此次访问消息的其他被收养者仍然质疑，象征性的认可是否会带来有意义的政策改变。

今年早些时候，李光耀公开道歉，并承诺制定更有力的措施来解决过去的侵权行为。

然而，被收养者表示，他们尚未看到具体的政策变化、公开宣布的改革或政府机构取得的明确进展证据。

他们的怀疑也源于历史。以往的政府也曾发表道歉声明，承认侵犯了被收养者的权利，但倡导者认为，这些姿态很少能带来持久的法律保护、机构问责或切实有效的支持。

对于聚集在IKAA的许多人来说，问题不再是韩国政府是否承认他们的经历，而是这种承认最终是否会转化为行动。

信中呼吁采取具体措施

虽然 IKAA 事件引起了广泛关注，但另一项努力却在镜头之外悄然展开。

10 月 19 日，一封公开信通过在线门户网站送达总统府、卫生福利部和国民议会卫生福利委员会，呼吁采取具体措施解决真相与和解委员会核实的过去与收养有关的侵犯人权行为。

这封信由 56 名被真相与和解委员会 (TRC) 认可的被收养儿童中的大多数人签署。

安德斯·里尔·穆勒是 56 名被收养者之一，他参与了这封信的起草。他指出，这封信的递送以及 IKAA 活动的举办时间并非最初计划好的，而是需要时间找到其他被收养者并共同起草这封信。

安德斯·瑞尔·穆勒 / 由安德斯·瑞尔·穆勒提供

尽管真相与和解委员会做出了调查结果，但官方的承认并不一定能让被收养者更接近正义或获得解脱，许多人也鲜少看到正式的集体补救途径，这让他们陷入了法律泥潭，追究责任的手段十分有限。

这促使穆勒撰写了公开信的初稿，呼吁采取更有力的措施，并为更广泛的被收养者群体提供支持。他自身的经历反映了系统性的失败，这些失败不仅影响了他的生活，也影响了他最终找到的亲生家庭。尽管穆勒自愿向真相与和解委员会提交了信息，但他从一开始就怀疑委员会的调查结果能否带来实质性的改革。

“我更倾向于观望，看看这是否真的能带来任何成果，”他说。在他看来，委员会成功地记录了过去的种种不公，但在追究责任、寻求法律救济和进行体制改革方面，却未能提出具体的步骤。

然而，他这样做是为了记录和提高公众认知度。“真相与和解委员会（TRC）带来了一些好处。过去，被收养者不被视为韩国历史的一部分，但现在我们被纳入其中了。我们是威权主义和独裁统治下的产物，这样做是为了确保我们能够被‘看到’为韩国历史的一部分。”他说道。

尽管真相与和解委员会获准继续进行调查，但穆勒仍然对用于审查被收养者案件的框架持批评态度。

根据委员会的调查要求，被收养者必须提供可核实的基本信息，案件才能继续进行。然而，对于许多寻求答案的被收养者及其韩国亲生家庭来说，获取可靠的记录仍然是他们面临的最大障碍之一。

穆勒和许多倡导者认为，缺乏文件本身应该引发值得调查的问题，而不是成为获取文件的障碍。

他还质疑收养记录的可信度，因为虚假信息的可能性更大。许多被收养者的记录显示，他们被遗弃在警察局、医院或其他公共机构，尤其是在海外收养数量激增的时期。他认为，这些说法应该经过独立审查，而不是不加核实就接受。这对他和许多其他人来说至关重要，尤其考虑到海外收养的规模以及收养记录中存在的诸多不规范之处。被收养者被遗弃在门口的故事已经变得如此普遍，以至于在收养者群体中几乎成了老生常谈或内部笑话。

对穆勒来说，核心矛盾很明显：被收养者被要求提供证据，而真相与和解委员会的调查结果已经对该系统记录保存的做法提出了质疑。

这封公开信旨在通过六项提案来解决这些系统性障碍，这些提案旨在恢复被收养者的权利、加强政府问责制和提供长期支持。

信中的核心诉求之一是全面公开收养和家庭记录，包括那些能够帮助被收养者确定身份和追溯身世的未删节文件。信中还呼吁建立机制来纠正伪造或不准确的记录，扩大国家DNA数据库的访问权限，并开展政府资助的DNA采集活动，以帮助离散家庭团聚。

除了获取信息之外，签署方还寻求结构性改革，以解决许多被收养者返回韩国时面临的挑战。

这些措施包括建立一个政府资助的国家支持机构，提供寻找亲生家庭的援助、翻译、韩语教育、法律和住房支持、心理健康服务和文化重返社会计划。

信中还呼吁恢复韩国公民身份，无需缴纳任何费用或设置不必要的行政障碍，并为被收养者提供法律途径，使其能够恢复原有的身份、家庭登记和家庭关系。

鉴于被收养者在历史上对影响其生活的政策的影响力有限，该信敦促政府让被收养者和受影响的韩国家庭直接参与有关公民身份、家庭团聚、赔偿和其他恢复措施的决策。

其最终提案呼吁建立一个独立的、由公共资金资助的国家研究和纪念中心，以保存收养记录、记录个人证词、支持历史研究并承认被收养者及其亲生家庭的经历。

总的来说，这些提议反映了人们对制度变革的更广泛需求，这种变革超越了官方道歉和对过去错误行为的承认。

在首尔举行的一次聚会活动中，被收养的孩子们合影留念。从左至右依次为：艾米·斯托尔、金·派克、珍娜·李·金、吉莉安·加登、丽莎·迈尔斯和汤姆·斯托尔。照片由珍娜·李·金提供。

被收养者们的公开信和强烈感受与国际收养者协会（IKAA）的开幕式形成了鲜明对比。虽然第一夫人的出席是一种公开的认可姿态，但公开信和新闻发布会则提出了具体的诉求，希望政府能够将这种认可转化为实际行动。

对于聚集在首尔的被收养者以及身处海外关注事态发展的人们来说，这些都反映了他们为争取认可、问责以及在影响自身生活的政策制定中发挥有意义的作用而进行的持续斗争。然而，所有被收养者都一致认为，需要开展真正的对话和采取切实行动，才能使被收养者“与祖国更加亲近”。

安东尼娅·乔尔达诺是一位居住在首尔的自由摄影师和作家。作为一名被收养者，安东尼娅对收养及收养后的相关问题有着深刻的理解和共鸣。访问 giordanoantonia.myportfolio.com 并关注 Instagram 账号 @antonia_creative_services。