Between 1968 and 1974, Korea sent a total of over 2,000 children for adoption to Denmark. In particular, in 1973 and 1974, more than 500 children were sent to Denmark each year, making up a significant proportion. Then, in November 1974, when the Korean government tightened the procedures for overseas adoption to Denmark and other Nordic countries, the Danish government continuously pressured the Korean government to reconsider. As a result, in 1976, Korea exempted disabled children from the adoption quota system to Denmark, and by the following year, the quota system was abolished altogether.

A report titled "Status and Issues of Korean Orphan Adoptions" was prepared by the Korean Embassy in Denmark in November 1974. It recorded a total of 557 children adopted to Denmark in 1973, divided into healthy and disabled categories. Over five years from 1970, a total of 1,775 children were adopted to Denmark. Regarding the merits of the orphan adoption program, the report stated that "adoptive families develop a sort of solidarity with Korea, providing potential to nurture and utilize them as pro-Korean forces." However, it also expressed concerns, noting that the program was criticized as a "commercial transaction." Accordingly, the government strengthened regulations on overseas adoptions to Denmark that year. Source: National Archives

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On April 1, The Asia Business Daily obtained around 10 internal documents from 1974 to 1977 concerning overseas adoption between Korea and Denmark from 'Ppurie's House,' a nonprofit advocacy group for the rights of overseas adoptees. These documents reveal the situation in stark detail. It is no exaggeration to say that overseas adoption was the most critical issue between the two countries at the time. Denmark, seeking to bring in more Korean children more quickly, coordinated seamlessly across its ministries such as Foreign Affairs and Justice, mounting comprehensive pressure on Korea. Danish officials even mentioned to their Korean counterparts that actions to reduce overseas adoption could affect diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Han Boon-Young, who has worked for over 20 years at Ppurie's House advocating for the human rights of overseas adoptees, criticized, "In the diplomatic negotiation documents between Korea and Denmark, not once is there any mention of the health or welfare of the children. Overseas adoption between the two countries was conducted almost like a secretive and political transaction."

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

"During my visit to Seoul on the 12th, I went to see Ko Jaepil, Korea's Minister of Health and Social Affairs. The purpose of this visit was due to media reports that the Korean government had decided to strengthen the regulations on the adoption of Korean infants by Danish and other Scandinavian couples. ... Korea has decided that in the future, Danish couples wanting to adopt a Korean baby must come to Korea in person. However, this policy will only apply to pending adoptions, and the approximately 200 adoptions already agreed upon will proceed as previously arranged."

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Under the Park Chung-hee regime, the Korean government not only imposed requirements for adoptive parents to visit and stay in Korea, as described above, but also devised a plan to reduce overseas adoptions by 20% annually from 1977, aiming for complete suspension by 1982. Somewhat unexpectedly, the driving force behind the tightening of overseas adoption procedures was 'North Korea.' North Korea's dissemination of political black propaganda that "Korea is selling children" was damaging Korea's international image. In response, the Danish ambassador argued to Minister Ko that Korea's reaction to North Korea's claims was precisely what North Korea intended, as it achieved its goal.

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

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Minister Ko stated that if the Danish media published proper and factually corrected reports about the adoption issue between Korea and Denmark, the Korean government would positively consider lifting the sanctions. The Danish ambassador agreed to this proposal and wrote in his report, "I propose to contribute in any way possible to ensure that this matter is accurately reported by the Danish press."

According to an internal report written by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 13, 1976, the Korean side officially notified Denmark that, as of October 15, 1975, adoptions to Scandinavian countries would be permitted only if the following three conditions were met: ▲ Adoptions must be mediated through approved agencies in Korea and Denmark; ▲ The number of children adopted per month cannot exceed 20 (quota system); ▲ Adoption is not permitted in families with five or more children, including the adoptee. In December 1975, Denmark strongly criticized these regulations as "discriminatory." Subsequently, the Korean government relented somewhat, allowing exceptions to the quota for cases where adoptive parents came to Korea in person or for children with physical disabilities.

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From September 11 to 15, 1976, Kim Kyungwon, then Special Presidential Advisor on International Politics to President Park Chung-hee, visited Copenhagen and held talks with the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs and other government officials. 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 meeting record, the Danish government, during a discussion with Special Advisor Kim on September 14, repeatedly requested that Korea consider abolishing the quota system.

"The Danish side strongly requested that the quota system applied to adoptions from South Korea to Denmark be seriously reconsidered. 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 made it clear that the intention behind the quota was not to discriminate. He explained that the quota was set out of concern that the proportion of Korean children adopted would become excessively high, given the population size of the Nordic countries, and that it was necessary to observe how the adopted children were integrating into local society. He said he would keep Denmark's request in mind but reportedly made no specific promises.

The Danish government's persistent desire to adopt more Korean children continued into 1977, this time with the Ministry of Justice joining the effort. They instructed the incoming Danish ambassador to Korea to meet with Korean officials and request the abolition or expansion of the quota system.

According to a document written by the Danish Ministry of Justice in January 1977, "It is considered desirable that, during the presentation of credentials in Seoul, the ambassador request the Korean government to abolish or expand the quota on the number of Korean children adopted by Danish parents," and "at the very least, the quota should not be reduced any further."

As a result of Denmark's persistent pressure over several years, the adoption quota system for Korean children to Denmark was finally abolished through bilateral talks in February 1977. Han said that Danish adoptive parents who brought children directly from Korea at that time "had to keep their adoption purpose secret during their visits to Korea, and received the children in separate areas at the airport, bringing them back in a very discreet and abnormal manner."

She further criticized, "Denmark was already a mature democracy at that time. Despite being aware of the division of the Korean peninsula and Korea's authoritarian political situation, Denmark should feel even more responsible for insisting on the adoption system they wanted."