[Interview] Kim Mi-ae: "Missing the Golden Time for Adoption... The Current System Is Essentially Neglect"

Eight Months Since Introduction of Public Adoption System
No Children Matched with New Families in Domestic Adoptions
Unnecessary Delays Caused by Formal Procedures
Severely Insufficient Personnel Prolong Adoption Process
Missing the Attachment Period Makes Adoption Adjustment Difficult

"Adoption is a matter that determines a child's entire life. The current system is not thorough; it is effectively a form of neglect. The government is not doing its job."

After the passage of the "Special Act on Domestic Adoption" amendment in June 2023, the government introduced a public adoption system starting in July 2025 following a two-year grace period. However, even though eight months have passed since the system was implemented, not a single child has found a new family through this system to date.

On March 31, in an interview with The Asia Business Daily, Kim Mi-ae, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the People Power Party, stated, "The best interest of the child is to grow up in a safe family as soon as possible," and pointed out, "The current structure, which prolongs the process through formal procedures, needs a complete review."

Kim Mi-ae, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily in her National Assembly office. March 25, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

She first noted that the adoption process is excessively segmented. Currently, adoption takes more than 15 months, from application to criminal record checks, basic education, home studies, qualification reviews, matching reviews, and ultimately court approval. Assemblywoman Kim said, "Criminal record checks can be conducted simultaneously with the adoption application, education can be provided as an ongoing program, and investigations could be completed within a month," adding, "By splitting up procedures that could run concurrently, unnecessary delays are being created."

Kim Mi-ae emphasizes the concept of a "golden time" because of its impact on bonding with parents. She explained, "Around 36 months of age is a decisive period for attachment formation. If the process is delayed, children grow up in facilities, their cognitive abilities develop, and it can become more difficult for them to form relationships with a new family. In particular, if an initial matching fails and a child becomes older during a second matching attempt, the likelihood of adoption inevitably decreases."

As a parent of an adopted child herself, Kim stressed, "Fifteen months may feel short to adults, but for a child, it is a crucial period that can determine the course of their life."

Regarding concerns that shortening the process could weaken verification, she said, "The current structure is not about strict verification, but rather, time is being extended due to a lack of personnel and inadequate systems," drawing a clear line, "Since there is court review and post-matching management, the key is not speed, but structural improvement."

She also pointed out the limitations of personnel and review systems. According to Assemblywoman Kim, the subcommittee that reviews adoption qualifications and matching consists of only about 10 members, and the Child Rights Guarantee Agency, which handles related work, has just 21 staff. "With such a structure, it is difficult to handle hundreds of adoption cases," she said. "The committee should be expanded, and work should be distributed at the regional level."

Regarding the National Assembly's approach to child policy, Kim added, "While much emphasis is placed on human rights, it often remains an 'armchair discussion' disconnected from reality. Policies must be designed with the best interests and happiness of children as the top priority." She continued, "When isolated cases reported in the media are generalized, it creates a social atmosphere that views prospective adoptive parents as potential criminals, which is a problem. I am willing to engage in open discussions on simplifying procedures."

The following is a Q&A with Assemblywoman Kim.

-Is the issue with the public adoption system simply initial trial and error, or is it a structural problem?

▲There was a sufficient two-year grace period after the law was passed. Nevertheless, preparation has been inadequate, and at the same time, there are structural issues. In short, it is all for show. Without expertise or systematic preparation, the state hastily took on the responsibility. Children should not be treated as test subjects for adoption policies. As a legislator, I also feel a shared responsibility.

-At which part of the system does the bottleneck occur?

▲The current adoption system is divided into nine stages, and bottlenecks occur in every step up to the final stage of court approval. For example, there is no need to wait two weeks after the adoption application to start a criminal record check—they can be done simultaneously. Basic education should be offered year-round as an ongoing course. Currently, education is provided only twice a month, so only about 20 families can participate each month. There are also significant delays in reviews due to the severe shortage of committee members in charge of qualification and matching assessments.

-Some argue that the revised system is at least a minimum safeguard to protect children.

▲If such institutional safeguards truly protected the interests of children, I would support them. However, I do not believe they help children at all. The best interest of children is to be protected and loved in a secure family as soon as possible. The unnecessarily prolonged procedures should be conducted quickly and simultaneously, and the number of relevant personnel should be increased to shorten investigation and review periods.

-Why do you emphasize the "golden time" in this issue?

▲Many mothers say, "I don't like it when my child becomes too dependent on others." The younger the child, the more important attachment with the mother becomes, rather than being raised by many people. Academically, attachment formation before 36 months has a significant impact on emotional development. I view this issue strictly from the perspective of children's development and happiness. Policies should be tailored to children's happiness. The system should not become a tool for avoiding responsibility.

-As a parent with an adopted child, what is the most difficult moment between the system and reality?

▲It's when people who do not know the realities of adoption and daily life keep calling for stronger human rights protections while only adding more layers to the system. It is also frustrating to see the media generalize isolated negative adoption cases, creating a social atmosphere that views prospective adoptive parents as potential criminals. Of course, correcting wrongful overseas adoption cases from the past is important. But what is even more important is creating the best policies and environments for children currently waiting to be adopted.

-What is most important for solving these problems?

▲First, we need to expand the pool of personnel. By special law, the Adoption Policy Committee, which deliberates and decides on adoption-related matters, is limited to 50 members. Accordingly, the Domestic Adoption Subcommittee operates with around 10 members. The Child Rights Guarantee Agency, which handles practical work, has only about 20 staff. The review committee pool should be increased to 300, and the number of practical staff should at least be doubled. It makes no sense to require complex procedures and reviews while failing to increase personnel.

-You seem to focus on marginalized issues that others overlook. What kind of politics do you aspire to going forward?

▲I will do politics that my heart tells me to do. Ultimately, it is about "walking with the vulnerable." This journey does not increase one’s support base or bring in more funding. Whether I was working as a lawyer in the past or now as a legislator unpacking "legislative bundles," my principle has remained the same: never let go of my attention to disadvantaged groups and keep looking closely at their needs. That is how I came to be able to do politics in the first place. I only feel sorry that, as a mother, I can't spend as much time with my own children because of politics. (laughter)

Kim Mi-ae, member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly member's office. 2026.3.25 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.