Since September of 2004, ASK has organized Monthly Forums on adoption-related issues. Past Forums have included guests speaking on Korean foster care, sex education, teenage pregnancy, global trends in intercountry adoption, and media portrayals of adoptees. In addition to learning more about the many issues related to intercountry/transracial adoption, we are committed to fostering relationships with individuals and organizations that are at the forefront of instigating social change in Korean society.

Name   ASK Subject   July 10, 2005 - Screening of KBS’ In-depth 60 Minutes This month, we will screen an edition of the KBS news show, ChooJeok 60 Boon (In-depth 60 minutes). For more about the program, read the excerpt from KBS, below. ■ WATCH THE VIDEO on our website by going to the VIDEO section of our ARCHJIVE. ■ ============ Title: In-Depth 60 Minutes Topic: The Nation Exporting Babies - Two Faces of Overseas Adoption Channel: KBS2 Original Broadcast: Wednesday, May 25th at 11pm Language: Korean A 20-year-old unwed mother asked the In-depth 60 minutes team to help her find her baby. According to her, the baby was taken by an adoption agency without her consent, as soon as she gave birth at an Ob& Gyn Clinic. The transaction of money in the background was traced between the clinic and the adoption agency related to this. Why is money involved to secure babies for adoption? 2300 children are adopted abroad among a total of 3800 adoptions annually. Human rights organizations criticize the government's encouragement of exporting babies. Especially, overseas adoptions have a lot of problems due to the lack of a proper system to provide post adoption services. This is a shameful portrait of Korea, the 12th biggest economy and a member of OECD. In-depth 60 minutes is investigating the truth of rumours regarding overseas adoption through shocking stories of unwed mothers who were robbed of their name of "mother" and through the voices of adoptees who are returning to Korea. ■ "Please give my baby back" An unwed mother's cry A 20 year-old unwed mother was told that her newborn baby was taken by an adoption agency. Although she did not want to give up on her baby, she could not even see her baby's face. The baby was taken away by a counselor of an adoption agency before the young mother woke up after a Caesarean operation. However, in the process, the counselor offered 200,000 won to the hospital as subsidy for the birth. Our team found out that the baby was already adopted to another family. We investigated the truth about the baby's disappearance. ■ A tragedy of 21st century. " A day of separation for unwed mothers and their babies" Currently 99.9% of babies who were sent abroad for adoption are unwed mothers. In-depth 60 Minutes recorded heartbreaking stories of the mothers who are relinquishing their babies at an unwed mothers' home. They have to separate from their children without having enough time to hold them. Was overseas adoption their last choice? One out of four mothers have to give up her baby due to the lack of supporting systems. The cry of unwed mothers, who have to carry the life-long pain, will be heard. ■ Overseas adoptees raise their voice, "We were exported products." Last August, after the successful adoptees' gathering for searching their roots, an adoptee threw himself out of a building. Why did he kill himself? An investigation process was the responsibility of the American embassy because he had American citizenship, and the reason of his death was kept unrevealed. Recently, adult adoptees are returning to Korea and raising their voice for anti-international adoption. They argue that their mother country sold them as exported products. ■ The nation exporting babies - Philanthropy or Business? As enacting adoption day (May 11th) for encouraging domestic adoption, the Korean government reconfirmed a "domestic adoption first, overseas adoption second" policy. However, we are still sending out babies three times more than in the 60s. Finally, the UN warned Korea about its overseas adoption. The Korean government says there are not many things that they can do, even though they are criticized for exporting babies. We are pointing out the problems and alternatives of our adoption policy. DATE: 2007.05.15 - 09:30 LAST UPDATE: 2007.05.15 - 10:29   August 31, 2005 - Dr. Peter Selman, University of Newcastle upon Tyne   May 29th, 2005 - Han Sang Soon, Aeranwon