[Exclusive] "Send More Babies": The Cold Reality of Adoption as a Secret Political Bargain Revealed in Diplomatic Documents

From 1968 to 1974, Korea sent a total of more than 2,000 children for adoption to Denmark. In particular, in 1973 and 1974, over 500 children were sent to Denmark each year, making up a significant proportion. However, in November 1974, when the Korean government tightened overseas adoption procedures for Denmark and other Nordic countries, the Danish government persistently pressured Korea to reconsider its decision. As a result, in 1976, Korea excluded children with disabilities from the adoption quota (quota system) for Denmark, and in the following year, the quota system itself was abolished.

A report titled "Status and Issues of Korean Orphan Adoption" was prepared by the Korean Embassy in Denmark in November 1974. It recorded a total of 557 children adopted to Denmark in 1973, categorized as healthy children and disabled children. Over five years from 1970, a total of 1,775 children were adopted to Denmark. Regarding the advantages of the orphan adoption program, it stated that "there is a possibility of fostering and utilizing adoptive families as friendly forces by fostering a kind of solidarity with Korea." However, it also expressed concerns by noting that the program was criticized as a "commercial transaction." In the same year, the government strengthened regulations on overseas adoptions to Denmark. Source: National Archives

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On April 1, The Asia Business Daily obtained more than 10 internal documents concerning overseas adoption between Korea and Denmark from 1974 to 1977, through Ppurieun Jip, a nonprofit organization advocating for the rights of overseas adoptees. These documents reveal the reality of the situation in stark detail. It is no exaggeration to say that the top issue between the two countries at the time was overseas adoption. Denmark coordinated seamlessly across its own government ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, to pressure Korea from all angles in order to receive more Korean children more quickly. Danish officials even told their Korean counterparts that measures to reduce overseas adoption could impact diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Han Boonyoung, who has worked for more than 20 years at Ppurieun Jip advocating for the human rights of overseas adoptees, commented on these documents: "Not once was the health or welfare of children mentioned in the diplomatic negotiation documents between Korea and Denmark," adding, "The process of overseas adoption between the two countries took place almost like a secretive and political transaction."

On December 12, 1974, Tyge Dahlgarrd, Danish Ambassador to Japan, met with Ko Jaepil, Korea's Minister of Health and Social Affairs, to discuss the issue of overseas adoption. At the time, Denmark did not have an embassy in Korea, and its embassy in Japan covered both Korea and Japan. The contents of their meeting documents are as follows:

"On the 12th, during my visit to Seoul, I met with Ko Jaepil, Korea's Minister of Health and Social Affairs. The purpose of this visit was due to reports that the Korean government had decided to tighten regulations on the adoption of Korean infants by Danish and other Scandinavian couples. (Omitted) Going forward, Korean authorities decided that Danish couples adopting Korean babies would be required to come to Korea in person. However, this new system would only apply to adoption cases not yet agreed upon, while approximately 200 cases that had already been agreed upon would proceed under the existing procedures."

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During the Park Chung Hee administration, as outlined above, the Korean government not only required adoptive parents to visit and stay in Korea, but also established a plan to reduce overseas adoption by 20% each year from 1977 and to halt it completely by 1982. Somewhat unexpectedly, the background to these tightened procedures was "North Korea." North Korea had been spreading political black propaganda claiming that "Korea is selling children," which undermined Korea's international image. In response, the Danish ambassador argued to Minister Ko that Korea’s reaction to North Korea’s claims was exactly what North Korea intended-to achieve its goal.

"I expressed surprise at the Korean authorities' reaction to North Korea's propaganda claims. This is because North Korea achieved its intended purpose through this. That purpose was to halt the adoption process and cast a shadow over relations between Denmark and Korea."

Minister Ko stated that if the Danish media published appropriate and factually accurate reports on the adoption issue between Korea and Denmark, the Korean government would be willing to consider withdrawing the regulatory measures. The Danish ambassador accepted this suggestion, writing in his report that he would "recommend contributing in any way possible to ensure that this matter is addressed in the Danish media."

An excerpt from a report written by the Danish Ambassador to Japan in December 1974 after meeting Ko Jaepil, Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Korea. He stated, "I expressed surprise at the Korean authorities' reaction to North Korea's propaganda claims. This is because North Korea achieved its intended purpose through this. That purpose was to halt the adoption process and cast a shadow over relations between Denmark and Korea." Provided by Ppurie's House

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According to an internal report written by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 13, 1976, Korea notified Denmark via official correspondence that, effective October 15, 1975, three conditions must be met for adoption to Scandinavian countries. These conditions were: ▲Adoptions must be brokered through approved Korean and Danish agencies; ▲No more than 20 children could be adopted per month (quota system); ▲Families with five or more children, including the adoptee, would not be permitted to adopt. In December 1975, the Danish side strongly objected to these regulations, calling them "discriminatory." Subsequently, the Korean government made concessions by exempting cases where adoptive parents came to Korea in person to pick up the child and cases involving children with physical disabilities from the quota.

From September 11 to 15, 1976, Kim Kyung-Won, Special Advisor for International Affairs to President Park Chung Hee, visited Copenhagen and held talks with Danish government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The purpose of the visit was to explain Korea's position ahead of the 31st United Nations (UN) General Assembly and to seek Denmark's support. According to the six-page records of the meetings, the Danish government again urged Korea to consider abolishing the quota system during discussions with Special Advisor Kim on September 14.

A report written by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1976 after a meeting with Kim Kyung-Won, Special Advisor to the President of Korea. "The Danish side strongly requested a serious consideration of abolishing the quota system applied to adoptions from Korea to Denmark. They emphasized that Denmark should not be placed at a disadvantage compared to other countries. Many Danish families still wish to adopt Korean children," the report stated. Provided by Ppurieun Jip.

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"The Danish side strongly requested a serious consideration of abolishing the quota system applied to adoptions from Korea to Denmark. They emphasized that Denmark should not be placed at a disadvantage compared to other countries. Many Danish families still wish to adopt Korean children," the report stated.

In response, Special Advisor Kim clarified that the quota was not intended to discriminate. Rather, it was established out of concern that the proportion of Korean children adopted would become excessively high compared to the population size of Nordic countries, and to observe how adopted children were integrating into local societies. He stated that he would keep Denmark's request in mind, but did not make any specific commitments.

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The Danish government’s persistent desire to adopt more Korean children continued into 1977, with the Ministry of Justice now involved. The Danish ambassador assigned to Seoul was instructed to request the abolition or expansion of the quota system during his credentials submission visit to the Korean government.

According to a document written by the Danish Ministry of Justice in January 1977, "It is considered desirable that the ambassador assigned to Seoul, during his credentials submission visit, request that the Korean government abolish or expand the quota on Korean child adoptions by Danish parents," adding, "At the very least, the quota should not be reduced."

As a result of Denmark's repeated pressure over several years, the adoption quota system for Korean children to Denmark was eventually abolished through bilateral talks in February 1977. Han recounted that Danish adoptive parents who directly collected children from Korea at the time "had to keep their purpose for visiting Korea secret, and received the children in a separate area of the airport-an extremely discreet and abnormal process."

She further criticized, "Denmark was already a mature democracy at the time. Even though they were aware of the division of the Korean peninsula and the authoritarian political situation in Korea, they still pushed to implement their preferred adoption system. In this regard, they should feel even more responsibility."

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