South Korean Adoption Fraud Exposed: Thousands of Children Separated from Families

An AP investigation reveals systemic fraud in South Korea's international adoption practices, affecting 200,000 children over decades.

Children were often kidnapped or falsely declared dead and sent abroad, as documented in an extensive AP and Frontline investigation.
Adoption agencies and the South Korean government created a competitive market for children, with hospitals receiving illegal payments for supplying babies.
Western countries pressured South Korea to provide children, ignoring evidence of fraudulent practices and promoting a narrative of rescuing orphans.
Many adoptees discovered their identities were fabricated, leading to anguished reunions with supposed parents who turned out to be unrelated.
European countries have halted international adoptions, and South Korea has launched a fact-finding commission under pressure from affected adoptees.